The One Who Kept On Walking
by ZeroHakurei
Summary: The Holy War is finally over. All the members of both sides perished and many Akumas still roam the Earth. However, one person survived. And that was Allen Walker. And even after 120 years, he still lives. How? The Noah inside him kept him from dying or aging. And now, in present day, Allen meets the Okumura twins.
1. Prelude to A New Era

**Chapter 1- Prelude to a New Era**

_**"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."**__ -Matthew 11:28_

* * *

_It has been a long and heart-wrenching 120 years ever since the Holy War tragically ended. After so many years of struggling to spare the world from the destruction that the Earl so envisioned, victory was finally awarded to the Exorcists. But with a price._

_After the all-out battle against the Noah, the Akuma, and the Earl, the Black Order was wiped out. Even Timcanpy was destroyed during the chaos. However, one person was cursed to survive, burdened to carry the memory of his dead friends as he lived on. He was the Destroyer of Time, prophesized to be the one who would defeat the Earl. He was the one and only Allen Walker._

_Years, ages, decades, he walked the earth alone. How was he still alive, you may ask? It's because of the Noah inside him, cursing him to walk the earth alone for all eternity._

_But he was not completely alone._

_He traversed the world with Neah, the Fourteenth Noah and also Allen's foster uncle. With only his guidance and accompaniment, Allen went around and 'freed' any and every Akuma he encountered. Yes, even after the Holy War, many leftover Akuma still roamed the earth, killing people wherever and whenever they desired._

_As Allen watched the world advance, he began seeing these little black creatures floating around and at the same time, creatures that Allen has never seen before. Apparently, they were demons- biblical demons. He had no experience in dealing with them, but he found out that Innocence affected them just as it would the Akuma._

_Allen soon found out that there was an organization tasked with fighting those demons. But that wasn't what truly shocked him. It was the fact that this organization, the Knights of the True Cross Order or simply the True Cross Order, was led by the Vatican who were probably looking for more pawns to play with, as Allen bitterly thought._

_In light of this new knowledge, Allen felt that something interesting was bound to happen..._

_He just didn't know how right he was._

* * *

Allen groaned frustratingly as he wearily dragged his feet across the pavement. Currently, he was in Tokyo searching for Akumas that may have fled there. In fact, he had already spotted and taken out four Akumas which was a surprisingly low amount considering the fact that this very city had been previously an Akuma nest.

It was already close to nighttime. But with nowhere to crash for the night, Allen deduced that he'd have to sleep in some alleyway or somewhere else again. He didn't mind though. What really troubled Allen was his famished stomach which was currently growling to no end.

Earlier in the afternoon, Allen had spotted a lone five-thousand Yen bill sitting innocently in an isolated walkway. There were no people around who could possibly own it so Allen decided to pick it up and stuff it in his pocket, making him feel guilty. He planned on spending it on food but he couldn't since the guilt prevented him from doing so and the reluctance to spend the stolen money remained in his mind. But it was survival, Allen fiercely reminded himself despite the overwhelming guilt, and for that he had to do anything. So by the time he made up his mind (conscience be damned), it was already evening and all the stores were closed.

Allen placed his hand on his mouth to hold back a huge yawn. The urge to just sit down and sleep rang powerfully in his mind and he had no choice but fall into the temptation.

Allen's legs moved on their own, leading him to the fences of a monastery where he leaned on and sat on the pavement, sighing contently as he was finally able to relax his muscles.

_**'Allen, as much as how I want you to rest, you still have to get something into your stomach you know.'**_

The exhausted boy groaned mentally. _'I know, but all the stores are closed. I can go buy food first thing in the morning...'_

_**'Geez, it's because you took so long to make your decision. So what if you stole the thing. Actually, you should have just stolen food a long time ago. If it weren't for you and the...others, there wouldn't have been no future for these humans. And yet if even after that, you still fight to protect these pathetic sacks of skin while starving yourself. If you ask me, I;d say that you deservce more from these ungrateful humans.'**_

_'No, Neah. If the point of saving people is to expect something in return, then it's pointless. Besides, they don't know a thing...and it's probably better that way.'_

_**'You ARE a strange one... Fine. Do what you think is right. But don't blame me when your body pays the price for your actions.'**_

_'Fine by me...'_

Saying no more, Allen closed his already droopy eyes and waited for sleep to take over.

_**'I'll keep watch for you...'**_

And with that, everything went black. As he slept, the events of the battle that had ripped everything away from him haunted his dreams...

* * *

Rin's POV

Rin, as usual, had gotten into a fight. Currently, he was on his way back home but with a dilemma.

_'Ah shit. I need to think of an excuse to tell the old geezer...'_ Rin internally grumbled. As he was nearing the monastery, he saw an old man camping just outside the fences of his home.

Alarm bells rang in Rin's mind as he raced towards the old man. He kneeled down in front of the man to take a better look at him. But instead of coming face to face to a wrinkly old face like he expected, he saw a teen-seemingly British- who looked like his age.

He had white hair and an odd-shaped scar on the left side of his face; starting from his forehead and going over his eye down to his jaw. Moreover, the boy was wearing what looked like a military uniform, consisting of a long sleeved black jacket and black pants with red trimmings complete with gloves and black combat boots. Over the uniform was a beige overcoat.

Shaking himself back to reality, he began shaking the boy lightly awake.

"Hey, are you alright?"

The boy groaned. "Leave me alone, stupid rabbit..." he mumbled in a foreign language which Rin guessed to be English. Rin wondered briefly about what he could have said (he had less than stellar grades in his English class so he didn't really bother) but nonetheless continued shaking the boy awake.

"Hey! Dude!"

The boy's eyes snapped open. Then at the blink of an eye, the boy had pinned him down to the ground with his hand around Rin's neck. Rin's eyes widened like saucer plates at the sudden assault. But before he could think of retaliating, the boy gasped and immediately relinquished his hold on Rin's neck. As quick as lightning, he stood up and began bowing down and apologizing at a hundred mile per minute.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't- I swear I didn't mean to mean to do that! I'm really, terribly sorry! Are you hurt?"

Rin blankly stared at the boy with his hand reflexively massaging his neck and shock written all over his face. His mind was slowly processing what had transpired until everything finally registered in his mind completely. He shook himself from his stupor and realized that the boy had offered him a hand. Rin also noticed that the boy was speaking his own native tongue fluently, as opposed to the language that the boy mumbled in earlier in his sleep.

"N-No, I'm fine! I'm totally fine!" Rin sweat dropped as he assured the boy of his wellbeing and accepted the boy's hand. With a surprisingly strong pull, the boy helped him up. Rin began dusting imaginary dust off of his clothes.

"Are you sure you're not hurt anywhere? I'm really, really sorry!" he apologized yet again.

Rin couldn't help but quirk an eyebrow in amusement. "Ah, stop apologizing! I'm totally fine, nothing to worry about!"

"Then why do you have bruises all over your body?" the boy asked warily. Rin was surprised that he had noticed the bruises. The boy was more observant than Rin had guessed.

"I just tripped on the way! I'm such a klutz, y'know." Rin tittered.

The boy looked like he didn't buy it. Rin figured that he had seen through his lie but the boy let it slide and didn't question it any further and nodded his head slowly.

"Ah, I forgot to introduce myself! My name's Allen Walker. It's a pleasure to meet you!" he said and then slightly tipped his torso forward which surprised Rin a little.

Rin quickly moved to return the polite gesture and proceeded to introduce himself. "Okumura Rin. Pleasure to meet you, too."

"Alright, I uhhh, have to go now. I hope we cross paths again!" With that, Allen turned around but no sooner had he placed his foot on the ground to start walking away, Rin stopped him.

"Hey, why were you sleeping out here?" Rin asked with curiosity.

"I...umm..."

Rin tipped his head forward, urging him to continue. Allen lowered his head in hesitation and then turned around to meet Rin's sincerely curious eyes.

"I...don't have a place to stay." Allen scratched his cheek in embarrassment as his face started to gain a pinkish color.

"Eh?! Then you can crash into my place!" Rin said with a grin and so much enthusiasm that surprised Allen. Who would outright invite a homeless kid into their home? Allen couldn't help but narrow his eyes a bit.

"How do I know you're not planning something?" Allen asked suspiciously, though he was careful not to sound hostile.

Rin widened his eyes and began shaking his head vigorously as if realizing how suspicious he must have sounded. "No, no! I swear it isn't anything like that! It's just that...my old man's a priest, y'know? I'm sure he'd kick my ass if he found out that I met a homeless kid sleeping outside the monastery and didn't offer help!" Rin tittered with a nervous grin.

Allen was taken aback. A priest, huh? Wait a minute... Allen turned his head to the monastery whose gates was just beside them, then his gaze returned to Rin.

"You...live here?" Allen reluctantly asked with his index finger meekly pointing to the monastery.

Rin nodded. "Yeah. So are you coming?" he asked with his grin still intact but this time held warmth in it.

_'Well...he doesn't seem to be lying...' _Allen thought. Finally coming to a decision, he sighed softly. "Well, it would be rude to decline someone's generosity and kindness, right?"

Rin's eyes lit up like Christmas trees. He took out a keyring from his pocket and the multiple keys jingled together as he inserted one of the silver keys into the gate and twisted it. With a push, the gates opened with a loud creak.

"Come on!" Rin took a brief glance Allen and saw that his face was lowered and looked dejected. Rin wondered if he still felt guilty about what he had done to him earlier.

"So anyway, are you a cosplayer or something?"

Allen was dumbfounded by this question and began fumbling for words. "Huh? Umm, no...sorta. This is the last thing I had and believe me, I'd buy myself new clothes if I had the money. But you see, the littlest money that I somehow manage to obtain go straight to food budget so there's nothing left for anything else..." Allen rubbed the back of his neck.

_'Huh...wait. That five-thousand Yen bill, won't it be enough for both food and clothes? I'll have to go check tomorrow when I leave...'_

"Oh..." Rin simply replied. He secretly wondered if the money that Allen claimed to somehow manage to obtain was from begging in the streets... Rin shook his head and decided not to think further about it.

Allen suddenly stumbled and lost his footing briefly causing alarm in Rin.

"Hey! You alright?" he asked concernedly and readied his hands in case Allen fell for real.

"Yeah, thanks. I just tripped." Allen lied with a smile which radiated mirth but his voice contradicted his bright smile as he notably sounded more weary.

Rin only nodded reluctantly. "Be careful, a'ight?"

The two of them didn't say anything else after that. As Rin padded up the path leading to the doors of the monastery, with Allen following close behind, he couldn't forget the look in Allen's eyes when he had pinned him onto the ground earlier.

Numerous emotions swirled behind those dilated and feral eyes. He had the eyes of a scared and traumatized child, an enraged soldier who fought valiantly for everything and everyone he knew, and a defeated lost boy who forgot the meaning of hope.

Why did he seem to have the eyes of a war veteran whose loved ones were unjustly robbed from him by war?

* * *

Narrative POV

Yukio sighed irritably as he stood at the center of the chancel, waiting for Rin to return home. _'It's almost eight o'clock, where could Rin be? Though knowing him, he probably got into a fight...again.'_ Just the thought of it made Yukio sigh once again.

"Worried about Rin?" A voice asked from behind him. Yukio turned to face the speaker, who was revealed to be Shiro, his and Rin's adoptive father and the monastery's head priest thus he wore a long black cassock but with little deviations such as the white belt on his waist.

"Aren't you worried, too?" Yukio shot back.

"Of course I am. That boy, he always gets himself into a fight. I don't know what to do with him." Shiro sighed as he ran his hand through his gray hair in irritation.

Yukio opened his mouth to reply but before he could even make a sound, the doors of the monastery were opened with a loud bang.

"Hey old geezer, Yukio, everyone, I'm back! I brought someone with me!" Rin's booming voice echoed throughout the chancel.

Yukio and Shiro turned to face the doors and indeed, behind Rin was a white haired man, presumably an old man. As Shiro approached them he was quite surprised that the 'old man' couldn't be a day older than Rin and Yukio.

"Rin, who is this?" As these words left Shiro's lips, Shiro noticed that the boy looked down and began shuffling his feet awkwardly.

"I found him sleeping outside. I just thought that we could let him crash for the night since he doesn't have a place to stay." Rin said.

Shiro's eyes widened slightly. He turned to the boy "Are you a tourist? Where are your parents?" Shiro asked him with a kind and gentle tone.

"Umm, I don't have any, sir. And I'm just travelling around alone." The boy said with a soft voice. Surprisingly, he spoke in smooth and flawless Japanese despite being a foreigner. Most of the foreigners he'd met once in a while during services in the monastery spoke butchered Japanese. Understandable, but butchered.

Shiro's eyes softened. "Well, if that's the case, you can stay here for as long as you want."

The boy's head whipped up. "Ah, I can't accept that! Just one night is fine by me, then I can leave tomorrow. I don't want to be a burden." he said.

"Nonsense! If anything, Rin over here is the burden!" Shiro ignored the small and indignant 'Hey!' from Rin. "Besides, I can't in good conscience leave a boy just Rin and Yukio's age out in the streets. It's a miracle that nothing bad has happened to you yet! Wait, how old are you exactly?" Shiro asked the boy seriously.

Allen sweatdropped at the priest's sudden change of demeanor. "Err, I'm sixteen, sir." Well, he was sixteen before he completely stopped aging physically. He was in fact around a hundred and thirty-six years old, but nobody needed to know that.

The priest chuckled. "Stop calling me 'sir'. It makes me feel old."

"You ARE old!" Rin asserted rather blatantly. Shiro ignored him once again.

"So, what's your name kid?" Shiro asked the boy.

"My name's Allen Walker. It's nice to meet you!" The boy, whose name was now revealed to be Allen, introduced himself and bowed.

"Polite kid," Shiro sighed dramatically and shook his head, "too bad Rin ain't like you." he said as he gave Rin a pointed glance.

Rin looked away with puffed cheeks.

"Well, my name's Shiro Fujimoto. This one here," Shiro points his thumb behind him were another boy stood, "is Yukio. He's Rin's younger brother. Hard to believe, right?" he joked.

"Hello." Yukio said kindly with a friendly smile.

Yukio had brown hair and turquoise eyes with square glasses sitting on top of his nose. Allen spotted three beauty marks on his face; two lined up vertically under his left eye and one on the bottom right of his chin. As Allen studied Yukio's, he had this vague feeling in his gut that he had seen that face somewhere. He just couldn't remember _when_ and _where._

Before he could ponder about it any further, Allen's vision began to swim. He clutched his forehead with one hand and his face contorted with distress. His surroundings started to blur until everything were mere blobs of color.

"Hey kid, you alright?" Allen heard Shiro say but it sounded like he was underwater. He stumbled a bit as he tried to maintain his balance but with his head spinning, it was a pretty tedious task.

Then before he knew it, Allen collapsed on the cold hard floor.

Later...

Allen slowly opened his eyes as he came to, feeling absolutely lethargic and light headed. He turned his head and laid it sidewards on top of the pillow his head was resting on. His eyes were squinted as they adjusted to the bright light. With apprehensive eyes, he surveyed the room that he was... wait. A pillow?

He fisted his hand on the soft object that he felt under him and discovered that it was a bedsheet.

He swiftly bolted upright and saw that he was indeed on the lower bunk of a double-deck bed. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a blue-haired boy sitting on a chair just beside the bed he laid on. Allen recognized the boy to be the one he had met earlier.

"Oh, you're awake!"

Allen grimaced a bit as he felt a surge of pain rack his head. "Y-Yeah. What happened?"

His question was ignored though as Rin stood up with a giddy look on his face. "I'll go call the old geezer!" He then skedaddled out the room without another word.

As soon as Rin's heavy footsteps faded into silence, Allen can't help but let out a long exhausted sigh.

Allen heard Neah's voice echo in his mind. _**'Welcome back to the land of the living.'**_ he joked.

_'Ugh. What happened, Neah?'_

The Noah kept silent making Allen wonder if he had done or said anything wrong. Before Allen could ask though, Neah finally answered_**. 'You really overworked yourself, Allen. With you not eating anything for a couple days and the continuous use of your Innocence- though kept at the minimum- for a much longer time period, it's not a surprise that you went under. You're fatigued.'**_

_'Oh. Did I make you worry...?'_

Allen waited for a response but there was none.

He lazily plopped on the bed once again with the desire to just close his eyelids- which could be compared to heavy weights- and sleep the whole month away. A long and insufferable groan vibrated at the back of his throat. He was just _so_ tired...

Allen sluggishly sat up once again when he heard footsteps thudding on the wooden floor, steadily becoming louder and louder. Soon, the door swung open and in came the old priest from before accompanied by the two boys.

The priest- Father Shiro Fujimoto if Allen remembered correctly- had a tray where a steaming bowl sat together with a pair of chopsticks. It smelled absolutely _heavenly _to his famished stomach and he could practically hear it calling to him.

"Hey kid. How're you holding up?" Fujimoto said conversationally with a grin as he handed Allen the tray.

"Fine, just tired. Thank you for your concern." Allen mumbled tiredly and almost incoherently. He quietly thanked the elderly man for the food as he accepted the tray. Curiously peering into the bowl, he saw that it contained ramen.

"You're lucky that there were some leftovers from dinner. Go on, dig in!"

Allen slowly nodded and with no hesitation, he split the chopsticks and hungrily tore into the bowl of ramen at a slower rate than normal...for him, that is. The other three in the room gaped at the boy who mercilessly and ravenously wolfed down the food. In a matter of two minutes, the bowl was completely sucked dry.

A loud belch issued from Allen's lips, causing him to blush furiously.

"Thank you for the food, Fujimoto-san. It was delicious." Allen said shyly but with a grateful smile.

Shiro shook his head. "When was the last time you ate, kid?" he asked with evident concern.

Allen rubbed the back of his neck. "Since...seven days ago, I think...?"

Shiro's eyes widened in alarm and muttered under his breath, "A week...?!"

Allen just tittered.

"So old geezer, is he going to stay?" Rin suddenly asked out of the blue.

"'Course he is! But before that, I do have one question." Shiro turned to Allen with a serious look on his face. "Are you absolutely sure that you don't have any family members that may be looking or waiting for you? Friends? Distant relatives?"

Allen looked away from him briefly with a sad and melancholic look on his face but he quickly hid it with a pococurante front. He stared at Shiro once again with a hard but solitary look in his eyes, as if he was reminded the fact that there was no one and nowhere that he could return to.

"Yes, I'm very sure that there's no one looking for me."

A solemn atmosphere invaded the room, seemingly suffocating the occupants. That is, until Shiro decided to break the silence.

"Well, I'm sorry for asking..." Without Allen having to voice it, Shiro immediately figured that the young boy had lost a lot despite his young age and he had obliviously and unintentionally overstepped his boundaries.

"It's fine, you didn't know." Allen replied quietly while avoiding their sympathetic gazes. He didn't want pity from these people, or from anyone at all for that matter. Pity made him feel...weak and pathetic. It felt like all the progress that he had made to move on, though very little, would come undone and he would go back to wallowing in his misery and regret. No, he didn't want that.

Yukio cleared his throat and decided to change the subject. "It's getting late and I'm sure Allen here needs more rest."

"Where am I going to sleep though, old geezer?" Rin asked Shiro. Allen looked up at the blue-haired boy shyly.

"Umm...is this is your bed?"

"Yeah but you can take it in the meantime." Rin said with a smile.

"But it's too much. I'm already freeloading off of-" Allen argued but didn't get the chance to finish as Shiro cut him off.

"Nonsense! We've got some futon laying around in here, Rin can just take them!"

"But..."

"It's fine, really! You're a guest anyway! It'd be shameful for us hosts if we let you sleep on the floor!" Rin replied with a goofy grin plastered on his face.

Allen looked hesitant but decided to go with it. "If you insist..."

"Well, that's that. By the way Allen, you wanna take a late night shower?"

The very second Shiro had ended his sentence, Allen snapped up and met the older (physically) man's gaze. After all, when was the last time he had taken an **actual** bath?!

"Yes, please!"

Shiro couldn't help but chuckle at his antics. "Right, Rin told me about that get-up so we decided to lend you some clothes. I'll hand them to you later. Rin, show him the way to the bathroom. And Yukio, can you go and set up the futon here?"

"Okay." The two boys said in unison.

"Um, if it's not too much to ask for, can I ask for a long sleeved shirt?"

Shiro looked at him but nonetheless didn't say anything about it. "Sure if that's what you want."

Allen stood up from the bed and bowed down profoundly and with his eyes closed. "Thank you for your hospitality. I really appreciate it."

Shiro grinned. "Don't mention it, kiddo. It's what we do."

* * *

**Hey guys! Been a long time, eh? *chuckles nervously* I'm really sorry...**

**Before I continue, I just wanna say THANK YOU to old readers for being SO patient with me! I actually expected to see my favorites and/or follows to go down a considerable amount but surprisingly, there was none. **

** And to the new readers who got interested simply through reading the summary, I hope this story will meet your expectations! And also, thanks so much to _Merkitten _for pointing out the cringe-worthy mistakes I made with my first few chapters! It really helped _a lot_. XD So I hope the changes I made are alright.**

**Anyway, my fam and I flew back here in the Philippines last month and we didn't have internet connection the whole April =.= We had it again just a few days ago, Mother's Day to be exact. I tried PMed Fulminata, my previous beta, but hasn't replied so I guessed that he/she was busy or just inactive. Yeah, so this chapter and probably the rest of the chapters aren't and won't be beta-read. Unless someone's willing...**

**Right so, by the next update (I don't know when but it won't be for too long, I assure you), updates will follow a certain schedule. Maybe weekly or maybe every two weeks, it depends. I'm still in the middle of writing more chapters.**

**Tell me what you think, guys! :v You can shout at me for taking too long, too! No, seriously. You can. XD **


	2. In The Beginning

**Hi guys! Yes, I know what you're thinking, "What the hell happened to promising to put up the next chapter in a week or two after the first?!" Yes, yes. I'm gonna speak more about this at the bottom. For now, I got a survey of sorts. I saw an author do this and it intrigued me so I thought, "Why not?"**

**So here it is. According to that author, statistics say that most people would skip to the chapter without reading the AN. To see how much of you guys actually bother reading my long intro ANs (I'm sorry for that btw), please incorporate the word "duck" (as in the animal) in your reviews for this chapter if you're reading this right now. It can be a short sentence about ducks, a joke, a pun, anything you want. Just make sure that I'll know that you're talking about ducks. xD (Also, ahem, kaway-kaway sa mga Pinoy dyan, nako. XD)**

**So, let the games begin! **

**Now that that's out of the way, Fulminata beta-read this chapter so half the credit goes to him! :) **

* * *

_**"Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me!" **__-John 8:43-45_

Chapter 2: In The Beginning

It had been eleven days since Allen was welcomed into the monastery.

As the sound of running water and clinking plates echoed in the kitchen, Allen washed dishes, mindful of his rolled sleeves and rubber gloves carefully arranged to hide his left arm from view. He'd been lucky enough to be lent a white long-sleeved shirt and black denim pants by Rin and Yukio.

As he dutifully scrubbed the plates, Allen couldn't help but ponder his first day at the monastery.

A small and humble welcoming feast had been thrown after everyone was cheerfully introduced. As much as it brought joy and gratitude, it also served as a bittersweet reminder of his past in the Black Order.

Just as he was about to settle in a good rhythm, Father Fujimoto appeared behind him.

"Allen, you don't have to wash the dishes. Really." A chuckle. "And I've heard it's quite rude for a host to let guests do the after-meal chores."

Without missing a swipe against grimy plates, Allen replied, "I told you Father Fujimoto, I'm not just a guest here. If anything, I'm a freeloader. And besides, I'd prefer to be helpful instead of just lazing the day away."

Shiro quirked an eyebrow. "Well, whatever floats your boat. _But_ I still think that Rin's better off doing those," he joked.

Allen failed to repress a smile. "Maybe so."

Shiro hummed and innocently presented a non sequitur. "So. Allen, I've been meaning to ask. The clothes you were wearing when you first arrived, are they some kind of uniform?" Shiro asked him conversationally, despite the fact that both realized that this was the beginning of an interrogation.

Allen exhaled heavily. "You could say that..." The sound of sluicing water ceased and the light steam that had begun to condense on glass started to drip. Allen chuckled nervously as he placed the plate he was holding in the rack and reached for the next.

The bustle from outside the kitchen hushed into inconsequentiality as Shiro plowed on. He leaned forward, "Allen, this might be sudden but...do you believe in Akuma?" (1)

Allen's movement stuttered, Shiro's eyes gauging the reaction. That question…was he intentionally trying to trip Allen up? Did he mean biblical demons or the monstrosities the Earl manufactured?

Salvation was delivered unto Allen in the form of a loud bang that shook the whole monastery's very foundations.

"I'M HOME!" A very familiar voice hollered on the heels of the monastery localized quake.

Shiro sighed. "Nevermind, Allen. Forget I said anything." he said and went to greet the delinquent.

Allen stood in silence for a while. Once he was sure that he was out of the priest's hearing, he released a breath that he didn't know he was holding.

_'Could he know about...?'_

_**'Impossible. The Black Order and its adversaries couldn't possibly be known in this day and age.'**_ Neah supplied quietly.

_'I hope you're right...'_

Shiro POV

_'That emblem...I could've sworn it was the emblem of the Black Order. Which should be impossible. The Black Order was founded and disbanded way before even __**I **__was born and that boy __**couldn't**__ be older than me... Just what is going on here?'_ Shiro thought.

His contemplations were cut short as he caught sight of Rin standing in the aisle, all battered and bruised. Somehow, Shiro wasn't surprised. He sighed again. He seemed to be doing that in worryingly increasing frequency lately. Maybe a vacation was in order. Or it would be if he took vacations.

"AH! Old man!" Rin nervously chuckled as he rubbed the back of his neck and scuffed his shoes against the floor.

Which meant-"Rin." Shiro said sternly as he gestured to the confessional. Rin slackened in defeat and obeyed, Shiro trailing behind him as he trudged to the wooden booth.

A thick, defeaning silence reigned over the small room, blanketing the two in a sense of foreboding. Finally, the other man occupying the room spoke, and the stillness broke.

"You lost little lamb, confess your sins and say your prayers." Shiro began, a no-nonsense aura radiating off of him.

"I didn't do anything bad." Rin asserted with pellucid boredom.

"Explain, then, why are you covered in cuts and bruises?" Shiro shot back, slipping into the song and dance they had established when Rin had started getting into trouble. Which, thinking back on it, had been a long time ago. Too long and not long enough.

"I trip on the pavement all the time! You know how clumsy I am, right?"

"You've got too many bruises for that. They're too large as well."

"I happened to land on these big ass stones whenever I tripped. Talk about coincidence."

This was getting ridiculous...

"And the nosebleed?" Shiro pressed.

"Uhhh, I-I umm...I saw this _really_ hot chick on my way-" Before Rin could finish, Shiro had bolted out of the confessional.

"What?! Why didn't you tell me any sooner? Where is she?! Those boobies are calling out to me!" Shiro yelled out rather uncharacteristically while comically looking left and right. After a few moments though, he turned back around and...

"Tch! Liar!" Before Rin could react, he was immediately subject to Shiro's playful but ruthless choke hold. "You got into a fight again, didn't you?! How many times have I specifically _told_ you to stop picking a fight with other kids?!"

"L-Let go of me, you old fart! That fucking _hurts_!" Rin choked out whilst desperately wrestling his way out against Shiro's grip.

Shiro mercifully yielded and turned his back to Rin, arms crossed over his chest. He set his shoulders, and when he spoke again it seemed to echo through the hall.

"Your boss from your part-time job called earlier," Shiro began. Rin looked up at him, guilt leaking onto his face. "He said that they didn't need someone who doesn't come back after a delivery."

Rin swallowed then blustered on, "Hmph. I told you I don't want to some lame and simple job like going around as an errand boy-"

"Don't act like a spoiled brat!" Shiro snapped. He turned around to face Rin with parental frustration and worry evident in his face. "One day, sooner or later, you'll have to leave this monastery and make it out there on your own! It's my duty to prepare you for that day!" Shiro said. Then, he smirked when he suddenly had a revelation. "Or do you want to become a priest and lead the monastery when I retire?"

"What! No way! I don't wanna grow up to be a perverted old geezer like you!" Rin protested loudly, bringing the conversation to a new level of loud. Neither noticed the near silent tap of feet and the ghostly appearance of their newest resident come around the corner.

"Father Fujimoto?" Allen's soft voice rang throughout the chancel, turning heads.

"Oh, Allen! Rin here just got into another fight, uh huh. I don't know how he's going to survive without me!" Shiro said and jerked his thumb over his shoulder at Rin.

"Welcome back, Rin." Allen greeted with a small smile, to which Rin responded with a mere grunt.

Silent drew over the trio as conversation stalled. "Are you done with the dishes?" Shiro asked.

"Yes." Allen confirmed shortly.

"Dad." Another voice joined the group.

"Hmm?" Shiro turned around with a smile and came face to face with Yukio.

"I came to tell you that I'm done packing. I'll just need to move the stuff to the dorms."

"Good job," Shiro told Yukio with a grin and a pat on the shoulder. The brunette then turned to Rin who was still sitting on the ground.

"Welcome back, Rin. Did you get into a fight again?"

"You know Rin, it would be great if you had even a fraction of your brother's virtues!" he added teasingly, making everyone present in the chancel chuckle, except Rin who had taken that last bit way to seriously.

"Shut your fucking mouth!" Rin thundered. As soon as the words left his mouth, the heater that was at the center of the chancel suddenly exploded. But what was strange was that it exploded in bright _blue flames..._

Allen was suddenly reminded of the blue flames that he personally saw fifteen years ago...

Shiro scampered towards the heater and knelt down in observation and muttered to himself, "Looks like I need to buy a new heater."

"Reverend Fujimoto." Nagatomo approached Shiro and bent down a bit, placing his right hand over his abdomen as a sign of respect. "You have a guest." he added.

"Alright. Thanks for informing me, Nagatomo. Fix this mess before the sermon, boys!" Shiro said to Izumi and Kyodo as he stood up and went to go outside with Nagatomo.

"Oh, and Yukio, treat Rin's wounds will ya?" Shiro called to said boy without turning his back nor halting in his trek.

"Sure. Come on Rin. Allen, you wanna come?"

Allen shrugged. "Sure. I've got nothing better to do anyway."

So the trio walked their way to the kitchen with no words whatsoever exchanged. When they arrived, Yukio saw that the dirty dishes that were supposed to be sitting on the sink were gone.

"Oh? Did you do the dishes Allen?" Yukio inquired said boy conversationally.

"Uh yes, I did."

"You know, Rin is better off doing those." Yukio teased lightly.

"E-Eh?!" Rin said flabbergasted.

Allen chuckled. "That's exactly what Father Fujimoto said." This elicited a chuckle from Yukio as well, irritating Rin who looked away and pouted. "Whatever." Rin huffed.

"Go sit down, Rin. I'll go fetch the first aid kit." Yukio told Rim and left the kitchen to do what he said he would. Rin shrugged and chose to sit down on the dining table while Allen just chose to stand.

Footsteps were soon heard until Yukio reappeared in the kitchen and in his hands was the first aid kit. He went over to the table and placed the kit on top. He then took a chair, dragged it in front of Rin and sat down.

He opened the kit, took an alcohol swab and gestured Rin to show him his wounded hand who obeyed with no questions asked.

"This will hurt, Rin." Yukio forewarned him and proceeded to hold Rin's wrist with his left hand with the alcohol swab on the other. He then lightly pressed the swab on Rin's wounded knuckle and fingers.

"That stings!" Rin hissed in pain and gritted his teeth, closing his eyes tightly whilst fighting the instinctual urge to snatch his hand away from Yukio's hold.

"Try to bear with it just a bit longer." Yukio said softly.

Rin turned his head and looked for something he could stare at so as to distract himself from the stinging pain. His eyes landed on the three boxes sitting innocently on the other side of the kitchen. His eyes softened.

"Oh yeah. So you're moving to a dorm, huh?"

"Yeah. School starts next week. I guess after fifteen years it's time to leave the monastery..." Yukio replied with a sad smile as he slipped into a small trance-like state.

"So will this be the last time you'll be treating my wounds?" Rin asked Yukio with a sad smile as he watched Yukio bandage his fingers, the pain all but flying out of his mind.

"If I become a doctor, I'll be able to help you anytime. Just give me a holler, okay?" Yukio said as he finished bandaging Rin's fingers and then severed the bandage from the roll.

"As long as you pay the fees, that is." Yukio joked and then returned everything to the kit.

"If I remember correctly, you want to be a doctor in the future, right?" Allen asked Yukio, speaking for the first time since they arrived in the kitchen.

"Yeah." Yukio said with a smile.

"Hmm. Keep up the good work! I know you can do it!" Rin encouraged Yukio with a grin as he stared at the younger boy's work.

"I'm sure that you can do it as well." Allen said with a kind smile.

"Thanks, you two." Yukio turned to Rin. "But will you be alright without me here?" Yukio asked Rin worriedly.

"What, are you going to nag me too?" Rin grumbled.

"Well, it's pretty hard not to. I mean, you get into fights almost everday and you can't hold a job for even one day, Rin." Yukio said with worry clearly evident in his turquoise eyes.

"I'm... Contrary to popular belief, I'm worried too..." Rin admitted and looked away. "I know that I should be acting all grown up already but...I just can't help it." He added with an equally worried tone as Yukio's.

"It might be a trial for you." Yukio commented.

"A trial?" Rin asked with a sincerely confused look.

"From God, of course. Who else?" Yukio replied with a bright smile. At the mention of God, Allen couldn't help but snort to himself.

Yukio however heard this and turned to Allen. "You don't believe in God, Allen?" His tone was not admonishing but merely inquisitive.

At this, Allen scoffed. "Why would I? If He really did exist, He wouldn't just let His people suffer, right? But He was never there for me since literally day one and He definitely hadn't been there for everyone at the-" Allen realized what he was saying and quickly shut his mouth. He was letting his emotions run wild. He mentally scolded himself for such a careless mistake.

And then, it finally dawned on Allen exactly what he had just said. Unwanted images of the bloody corpses of his friends flashed in front of his mind's eye.

"At the...?" Rin trailed off, waiting for Allen to continue.

Allen broke away from the twins' gazes as his eyes took on a painful glint. "It's...it's nothing. Forget I said anything."

Yukio stared at him in concern but decided to not say anything while Rin was reminded of the night when he woke up a sleeping Allen situated in front of the monastery. That had been the night when they first met.

_BANG!_

The three boys looked at the doorway to see who had opened the door so loudly and saw Maruta and Izumi coming in. Maruta was holding a flyer while Izumi was carrying a large black box which looked suspiciously like a shoebox.

"There he is! Hey Rin, the Southern Cross Mall is looking for part-timers!" Maruta informed the said boy.

"A part-time job?"

"Yeah. We called them and they said that you should come right away for an interview." Izumi added.

Rin stared at them incredulously. "W-Why did you call them without telling me first?"

"Just go, Rin. I'll lend you my suit." Kyodo said as he entered the kitchen with a dark box on his hands and proceeded to toss it to Rin who easily caught it with a grunt.

"Why do I have to wear a suit just for a part-time interview?" Rin groused. He'd wear his usual casual clothing over a suit anyday.

Blatantly ignoring Rin's complaint, Izumi handed Rin the box he was carrying. "Here, I'll lend you my shoes. Don't dirty them, alright?!"

"Amd here's a map and your CV. Just add your photo there and you're all set." Maruta butted in.

Meanwhile in the background, Yukio and Allen just looked at each other and smiled.

"I guess I have no choice..." Rin grumbled due to the predicament that he was thrown into and then left the kitchen to change. Kyodo, Izumi, and Maruta also exited the kitchen, leaving Allen and Yukio behind.

"I just hope he gets the job..." Allen sighed.

"Me too." Yukio agreed.

"I'm going out for a walk. If anyone asks, tell them I'm out."

"Alright. Be careful not to get lost!" Yukio joked. Yep, eleven days in the monastery and everybody already knew about his non-existent sense of direction.

Allen blushed. "I'll be fine...!" And with that, Allen walked out the room.

"Take care!" Allen heard Yukio's voice echo from the kitchen. This time, Allen had the feeling that it was not meant to joke about his sense of direction.

He stopped by the room that the three of them shared and then opened the closet owned by the twins. He took out a black hoodie, which was also generously lent to him, and then slipped it on. With that, he began his trek to the front doors of the monastery.

_A few moments earlier..._

Rin was walking in the corridor with his hands in his pockets. He was wearing the suit that Kyodo lent him but excluded the tie. The damn thing was way to hard to tie to begin with. He kept the blasted thing in his pockets, though.

When he opened the front doors of the monastery, he saw Shiro talking to a man, a woman, and a little girl who Rin presumed to only be six years old.

"Thank you so much for your help. I'm sorry if we bothered you." The woman said with a thankful smile.

"It's fine, really! Don't worry about it!" Shiro assured her. He then knelt in front of the little girl and rested his hand on top of her head.

"You should be happy that your parents are looking out for you. If you have problems, talk to your mommy and daddy about it. If they can't help you, come to us exorcists." Shiro adviced her softly.

The girl nodded shyly. After they exchanged their farewells, the family left.

"It must be hard being an exorcist. You have to get rid of things don't exist." Rin remarked as he approached Shiro from behind. Shiro turned around to address the boy.

"Don't spout such utter nonsense. Demons do exist. And they exist within people's hearts."

"That's a load of bullshit." Rin replied flippantly.

"By the way, what's with that get-up?" Shiro asked with his eyebrows quirked up in amusement.

"Well, everyone insisted that I go to an interview for a part-time job so the guys lent me these. I told them that I didn't want to wear a suit but they insisted." Rin grumbled as he pulled the lapels of his coat together to hide his necktie-bare shirt. However, this proved to be futile as Shiro caught on, his lips curling into an evil smirk.

"Oh? It seems that you forgot your necktie!"

"I-It's faster without it! A-And I don't have to look fashionable just for an interview!" Rin stuttered.

"Heh, now _that's_ a load of bullcrap. You just don't know how to tie it don't you?"

"N-No way!"

"Give it to me. I'll teach you how." Shiro said and gestured for Rin to hand him the necktie.

"Wha-? Oh, umm, here..." Rin fished his pockets and pulled out the necktie.

Shiro took it and went over to Rin. "Here. Raise your collar and close the button." Shiro instructed and demonstrated.

"Tch. You're only growing up physically." Shiro remarked as he started fixing the necktie's length evenly around Rin's collar.

"You were so cute when you were little, going "Daddy, daddy" all over the place." he added with a smile on his face, his eyes gaining a faraway look.

Rin blushed in embarrassment. "T-That was ages ago! I've grown up since then!"

With a silly grin on his face, Shiro placed his hand horizontally above his eyes and said, "Eh? A grown-up? Where? I don't see any!" Shiro cackled provokingly.

"You're no better you old fart!"

Shiro finished tying the necktie and put his hand on Rin's chest, playfully shoving the boy away from him causing Rin to stumble backwards.

"If it's that embarrassing, then show me just how much you've grown!"

Rin pointed at Shiro with his pointer finger and firmly declared, "Don't you look down on me just yet! I'll prove to you that I've grown up! Open your eyes wide and watch me!"

"That's not how the saying goes, though." Shiro said blankly, ruining Rin's moment.

"Shut up, you know-it-all geezer." And with that, Rin left while Shiro remained in the yard with a smile on his face.

Just then, the doors of the monastery opened. Shiro turned around to see who it was and saw that it was Allen wearing his white long sleeved shirt with a black hoodie over it, black denim pants, and black sneakers.

"Hm? Going somewhere, Allen?"

"Yes, I'm going to go out and walk for a bit." Allen replied.

Shiro grinned. "Be careful on your way home."

With the grin on his face, Allen immediately knew that Shiro was teasing him. He quietly grumbled in response as a banter, "I'm honored that an esteemed priest is concerned for me."

Shiro chuckled at this as Allen sauntered past him.

"Oh, and be sure to come back before dinner!" Shiro called to Allen who had now reached the gates.

"Sure thing, Father Fujimoto!" Allen said and flipped the hood of his jacket over his head. After making sure that the hood obscured the majority of his unusual snow-white hair from sight, he stepped over the threshold of the gates and began to go along with the crowd walking on the sidewalk.

_**'So are we going on an Akuma hunt?'**_

_'No Neah, I really am just going to take a stroll around. But if there happens to be an Akuma around, then I'll go take it out.'_

Neah just hummed in acknowledgement.

Just as he let himself mindlessly wander around, his mind also wandered specifically to the woman he now remembered to be the one who closely resembled Yukio...

_**Flashback...**_

_Allen ran and leapt across rooftop after rooftop like a bullet. The white tendrils that extended from behind Crowm Clown's cowl furiously flapped around due to the rush of the wind. The earth was coated in bright blue light reflected by the night sky which, for some unknown reason, glowed the same color._

_Pant. Pant. Pant._

_**'Just keep on going straight ahead...' **__Allen heard Neah's voice whisper in his mind._

_Allen nodded and kept going. All he could hear was his heart beating erratically in anticipation and his own accelerated breathing._

_Pant. Pant. Pant._

_**'Wait!'**_

_Without pausing, Allen asked Neah seriously, 'What is it, Neah?'_

_**'Tch, it's gone again.'**_

_Allen did no effort in suppressing a groan. 'Again?!'_

_**'Stop, Allen. Wait for it to come back...'**_

_Allen landed on another rooftop and did as he was told. A moment of silence passed until Neah once again found what they were looking for._

_**'There, it's back. Go to your eight o'clock and keep going. I'll tell you when to turn.'**_

_Allen nodded and went towards the specified direction._

_You might be wondering about what kind of predicament Allen and Neah had gotten themselves into. Well, earlier when the sun had begun to set, the two had suddenly felt a surge of otherworldly power and it just felt...__**wrong**__. As if it was not meant to be in this world. _

_It was a viciously sinister, malicious, and malevolent aura that it couldn't even begin to compare to the Noahs. And honestly, that fact scared the duo._

_Worried as they were, they decided to investigate so they began to pursue the aura. But since Allen was unable to track the aura, the task of 'smelling it out' was left to Neah._

_However, pursuing the aura was not an easy task as the duo had found out several minutes into their pursuit. This was because the aura would disappear before they could reach it and it would later on appear in another, much faraway, area. The timing always wound up to be inconvenient as well as the aura would disappear without a trace for a minute when Allen was already __**close **__to reaching it. _

_When they had decided to check out the places where the aura had previously appeared, they found that these places had something in common and it was that they were either a shrine, a temple, a church, or any religious place. But that was not the only thing that they found._

_To Allen's slight horror, corpses of clergymen were littered everywhere bathing in a pool of their own blood. Not only that but blood also dripped from the corpses' eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. Allen tried looking for survivors- you'll never know until you try, after all- and indeed there was. But sadly, he had only found one._

_It had been a lone kid, cowering in a corner and blubbering like a mess. After consoling him, Allen told the kid that he was looking to apprehend the one that was behind all the ruthless carnage. Allen was shocked when the kid had told him that the culprit was a demon. And a __**very**__ powerful one at that._

_**'Right, Allen. Go to the right and keep going. Jump down when you reach the last building and then we're almost there. Hurry up before the aura disappears again though...'**_

_Allen did as he was told, renewed vigor washing over his entire being. After all, this was a breakthrough considering all those time wasted chasing the aura only for it to slip away from their reach numerous times._

_Allen jumped down from a three-storey building- the building that Neah had told him to jump down from- and landed on the pavement next to said building in a crouching manner. Without skipping a beat, he sped off along the currently deserted path._

_Pant. Pant. Pant..._

_Soon, Allen reached a large open area. In the distance, a wooden pole was erect on a stage on the ground and behind that was a large cathedral._

_A wave of dread washed over Allen as he stared at the scene in front of him with a horrified look. A conflagration of blue flames blazed mercilessly and showed no signs of dousing soon. Immediately, Allen figured out why the night sky was colored such a vivid color. _

_How could a color meant to symbolize peace and harmony represent iniquity and death so much? For amongst the blue inferno, bloodied and roasted corpses scattered about and they were in the same condition as the bodies Allen had found earlier._

_Allen shook his head and then took a deep, shaky breath in an attempt to calm himself. Death was something he was used to by now. His gut __**definitely**__ shouldn't be churning like it currently was. However, the number of corpses didn't distress him just as the blunt brutality of how they were murdered._

_**'...en! Al...len! Allen!'**_

_Allen was suddenly jolted out of his thoughts and realized that Neah had been calling out his name._

_**'Steel yourself. This is not something a war veteran should be worked up about. Especially YOU.' **_

_'I know...' Allen brought a hand to his face and closed his eyes. Then, much more hardened, he opens his eyes resolutely and slowly wipes his hand away from his face as he repeats more to himself,_

_'I know.'_

_**'Good. Now-'**_

_Neah cut himself off when he sensed a menacing, ominous, and foreboding force coming their way._

_Allen's breath hitched. This was...!_

_He turned to the source of such great power. There he saw an old man limping. He was probably a clergyman if his clothes were anything to go by. His whole body was engulfed in blue flames but they didn't seem to hurt him at all. _

_A high-pitched, mechanical screech cut into the thin atmospere like a knife as Allen's eye activated. And then he saw it. Blood leaked from his eye as the sight before Allen seemed to overwhelm his cursed eye, making him look like he was crying._

_The soul...! It was...it was mercilessly being scorched by the blue flames! It was suffering, __**screaming**__ in agony as more and more blood poured from his body! And chained to the soul was...Allen's eyes widened._

_It was a grotesque and ugly looking demon unlike anything he has seen before. It had a toned, gigantic, midnight blue body. Bluish claws extended from its fingers and toes and a tail swished and swayed tauntingly from behind it, its tufted end also alight with a small blue ember. _

_Flaming horns sprouted from atop its head, curving outwards, inwards, and then outwards again. Its eyes were entirely sapphire blue and glowed dangerously, all the while burning with a fire that promised eternal suffering to anything and everything that stood in its way. Its lips curled into an ugly and menacing grin, showing off abnormally sharp teeth. _

_It cackled as it took delight from the very sound of the anguished and despaired screams emanating from the soul as if it was blissful music to its ears. A chill ran down Allen's spine as he heard the demon's deep, dark, and ominous laugh._

_The cursed boy fell down to his knees with his right hand clutching his eye. He ground his teeth as he held back a howl of pain. He breathed heavily at the sheer and absolute pain originating from his eye and could very well be spreading throughout his whole body like wildfire. A strangled cry vibrated at the back of his throat._

_**'Stand up, Allen! Use the Sword of Exorcism on that man and it will all be over with!'**_

_Allen's mind was swimming but he had only barely able to catch Neah's words. Allen took a deep breath as he steadily stood up with shaky legs and brought his right hand to his left wrist and tugged. When he did, the entirety of his left arm glowed a brilliant white. Allen slowly pulled at his arm and then out came a large sword with his left arm nowhere to be seen. _

_Crown Clown's cowl also turned into a full cloak that had a long sleeve for his right arm while only the cloak itself covered his left shoulder which was now a stump. In addition, the silver masquerade mask that came with Allen's Innocence was now tied around his throat._

_The sword that Allen had brought out was called the Sword of Exorcism. As the name implies, it had the power to purify anything that it touched, provided that it was impure. So basically, it can only harm demons and demons only._

_Automatically, Crown Clown's mask went up and covered Allen's eyes. With this, Allen fell into a stance and then sped off towards the man with the Sword cocked back. The throbbing and ever persistent pain in his eye only increased twofold as he neared the possessed man. _

_The demon possessing the man suddenly spoke in its deep and ominous voice, making Allen's skin crawl._

_**"You! You're an Exorcist carrying the power of God! But those Exorcists were completely wiped out ages ago! How are you still here, filthy Exorcist?!"**_

_Allen chose to ignore the demon and did not stop in his route towards the possessed man. The demon then seemed to come into a realization as a deep chuckle rumbled in its throat._

_**"A strange child, indeed! You are an Exorcist...but a Noah at the same time! Such a peculiar child!"**_

_This made Allen stop dead in his tracks. Allen had only assumed that demons didn't know about the Noah Clan since as far as he knew and remembered, none of the demons had recognized him to be a Noah. Either the demons just didn't care or this particular demon was superior to the ones he usually met that he'd have knowledge of the Clan._

_"Who are you?" Allen demanded._

_The demon growled. __**"Tch, I have no time for this! This body will not last longer...I have to save Yuri!"**_

_Allen's mind went into overdrive when a pillar of blue flame burst in front of him. He immediately jumped back only for another pillar to combust in front of him once again forcing Allen to jump back again but this time considerably farther away. Allen watched as pillars of blue flame exploded in succession going towards him and showed no signs of stopping._

_Allen clicked his tongue irritably and dashed to the side and then ran towards the possessed man so fast that he could only be seen as a blur. _

_The demon, hearing Allen approaching, turned to him and growled. The Exorcist seemingly vanished in a blur, catching the demon off guard. It was too late when the demon realized that Allen was coming down at him from above._

_With a cry, Allen brought the Sword of Exorcism down on the man's body, creating white glowing crosses along its path._

_The demon howled and roared, __**"You..fucking Exorcist! YURIIII!"**_

_And with that, the demon vanished and so did the blue flames but the night sky remained blue, the evident reminder that such a bloody and tragic night had occurred. Allen hovered his Sword just below his stump where his left arm should be, causing the sword to glow white. When the light withdrew, the sword was nowhere to be found and his left arm returned. At the same time, Crown Clown's cloak receded to a cowl once again._

_**'Good job, Allen.'**_

_'Thanks, I guess...'_

_Just then, the formerly possessed man- now unconscious- lost balance and collapsed on the ground with a thud._

_With a sense of urgency, Allen quickly crouched down beside the man and then placed two fingers on his neck. Allen breathed a sigh of relief when he felt a pulse thump against his fingers. He was still alive, but barely holding on to dear life._

_Allen then remembered what the demon was fussing about earlier._

_'Something about saving Yuri? Whoever that is...'_

_Allen turned to the stage that the demon tried to reach earlier and then went closer to investigate. Allen stared in alarm when he saw that a young woman was tied to the pole that was raised on the stage. She had long brown hair which fell down to her waist, turquoise eyes, and mere rags to cover her body._

_The only reason that Allen could think of on why someone would be bound to a pole like that is that this woman was probably supposed to be executed what with the firewood littered around her._

_"Wh-Who are you? What...are you going to do to me?"_

_The sheer amount of fear in the woman's voice made Allen feel reluctant. After all, when was the last time that he had heard so much fear directed towards him? _

_Allen kept quiet and approached the woman. He brought his Innocence arm over his head, giving the woman the impression that he was going to kill her. The woman tensed and closed her eyes in preparation for the blow. _

_Allen quickly brought down his hand and cut the ropes that bound the woman to the wooden pole with his sharp claw-like fingers. The woman opened her eyes in surprise with a little mix of relief when she felt her binds go loose._

_The woman opened her mouth to say something but Allen beat her to it. _

_"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you." Allen reassured her. Without warning, Allen wrapped his arms around her petite figure and abruptly leapt up, eliciting a shrill shriek from the woman._

_After he landed on the ground, Allen brought the woman up and carried her bridal style and prepared to run off but was stopped when he heard footsteps hurriedly closing in on them._

_"Stop, demon! Let go of that woman at once!" A masculine voice commanded. Allen turned to the speaker and saw that the newcomers wore hooded cloaks with their hoods covering their entire face except for the lower half. Allen had the feeling that they had bad intentions for the woman._

_"Demon? Me? You better watch your mouth before I make you eat your words." Allen warned them with a dangerous edge to his voice._

_"Ha! I commend you for still being able to maintain your bravado even in front of your demise, filthy demon! Do as I say: let go of that woman and leave the body of the person you are possessing at once! Or shall we do it ourselves?" The same man who had spoken earlier said with an air of fake confidence that only served to disgust Allen more than Bakanda's face did. But the man's words made Allen wonder..._

_"You...Who are you people?" Allen asked them warily._

_The men began guffawing as if they had just heard the funniest joke in the world._

_"Oh? A demon that does not know of us? We are exorcists of the True Cross Order! And we command you to let go of that woman bearing Satan's child!" One of the men said with his chest puffed up in arrogance._

_This woman...was pregnant with Satan's child? Then...could the demon earlier who wanted to save the woman be Satan?!_

_The other man's words then clicked in Allen's mind._

_'Exorcists? True Cross Order? What...? Do you know about them Neah?'_

_**'Nope. Haven't heard of 'em. But one thing I do know is that they are not the kind of Exorcists that we are familiar with.'**_

_Allen slightly deflated when he heard that._

_"Please, mister! Don't hand me over to them! They want to kill me and my child!" The woman pleaded. Allen looked down at the woman and stared at her with sympathetic eyes._

_This woman was pregnant with a child. Handing the woman over to those so-called exorcists would mean taking away two lives. The child being Satan's didn't matter; it was still a life. Allen knew that it was wrong to blame a child for their father's mistakes. But if it ever did become as evil as his supposed father...Allen had infinite years ahead of him, enough to meet the child again when he grew older._

_So Allen looked back up to the men with resolution and gave them his answer:_

_"I refuse." he declared indignantly. Without waiting for an answer, Allen jumped up and landed behind the group of men and ran into the forest which was located to the right of the cathedral. Behind him, the group of men followed. Allen could vaguely hear one of them shouting out commands to the others._

_He shot out a tendril of white cloth from his cowl and attached it to a branch of a considerably high tree and then launched himself up and landed on the branch. Before the branch could snap in half due to their added weight, Allen leapt to the next branch of another tree and then on to another and so on._

_"Thanks mister..." Allen barely heard the woman's soft voice but he understood nonetheless._

_"Don't mention it." he replied._

_Allen was about to ask for her address so that he could take her there but was interrupted when the woman let out a pained gasp._

_"What's wrong?"_

_"My child...its coming!" The woman whispered._

_"What?! Now?!" Allen asked, alarmed._

_The woman closed her eyes tightly and nodded as a pained whimper escaped her lips._

_Panicking, Allen quickened his pace._

_'Wh-What do we do, Neah?!' _

_**'I-I don't know! Take her to the hospital! Isn't that the place where pregnant women go when they are about to give birth to their child?!' **__Neah replied just as frantically._

_'That could have been a great idea of it weren't for the fact that the child's father is a demon! We could just assume that the process and result would not be the usual!'_

_**'Well, do you have better ideas?!'**_

_'That...is a good question.'_

_**'Allen!'**_

_'Okay, I don't know! I-'_

_Allen stopped when the woman threw her head back and screamed through clenched teeth. He could barely see a lone tear slip from her eyes as she sobbed in between heavy breaths._

_"Just...hold on for a little longer! We're almost there!" Allen said frantically. But to be honest, he still didn't know where __**there**__ was. An idea sparked in his mind when he saw a cave down the cliff in his current position. It wasn't much of a high drop amd the snow below would soften their landing if they jumped down._

_So Allen jumped down from the branch he was on and onto the snowy ground of the forest, the few twigs beneath his feet snapped and made a crunching sound._

_He ran to gain momentum until he was at the end of the cliff and then jumped down, landing on the snow in a crouching position._

_Looking ahead to the direction of the cave, he say that there were two hobgoblins and snowmen demon. When they took notice of the woman that Allen was carrying, they growled and prepared to attack, sensing Allen to be an Exorcist and was therefore a threat to the woman who they knew bore their Lord's child._

_"Stop. He's...a friend." The woman said weakly with a somewhat commanding voice. The demons obeyed but it was clear that they were still on high alert in case Allen tried anything. _

_"Satan's child...it's coming." _

_The demons were startled and looked at the woman with trepidation._

_"So please, do whatever this boy says...for me." The demons nodded obediently and looked at Allen, expecting orders._

_"Right, ummm..."_

_Allen honestly didn't know a thing about giving birth. He racked his brain for anything- __**anything**__\- until he remembered something._

_'Of course!'_

_Allen turned to the hobgoblins. "The both of you, please get something to swaddle the baby with and hurry back." _

_At first, the hobgoblins looked confused and stole a glance at the woman's stomach, then at each other, and nodded. The two quickly went up the cliff to do as they were told._

_Then, Allen addressed the snowmen. "Please stay here outside and keep watch."_

_And with that, Allen entered the cave. _

_There, in the center, was a big purple cushion and scattered around the cave were blue bellflowers. _

_While pondering in amazement about the incredible timing, Allen quickly laid the heavily breathing woman on the cushion. Just as he did though, a shrill shriek emitted from the woman's mouth followed by series of pained grunts in between broken sobs._

_"There's no time. I need to do this now!" Allen muttered._

_'Allen, do you even know what you're doing?'_

_The incredulity in Neah's voice was so painfully obvious and sadly, Allen knew the answer to that question._

_'Well, no...but it's worth a try!'_

_'No, Allen. Even if you did know how to go about the process, without the proper equipment...the woman will perish.'_

_Allen's blood froze. How could he not have thought of that? Now that the idea was presented to him, he realized just how much of a dire situation they were in... _

_'You're right... What am I going to do then?' Allen thought, stress and trepidation creeping into his heart. He could vaguely hear Neah's voice trying to calm him down over the loud thumping of his heart that was seemingly pounding in his ears._

_He was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard the soft sound of footsteps trudging through the snow. Allen turned around to the source of the noise and saw that the two hobgoblins had returned with the items that he had requested for, only that there was one blanket too many. _

_Allen raised his eyebrow but didn't say anything. Taking a shaky breath, he turned to the woman who was now heaving and sweating profusely._

_"Lady, if...if I try to deliver the baby...you __**will**__ die..." Allen warned her with a grave expression on his face. His heart wrenched when a sad smile fixed itself onto the woman's deathly pale and exhausted face. _

_"I...know. Please...I don't care if I die, just please...I want my child to live..."_

_Allen marvelled at this woman's love for her unborn child and couldn't help but allow a pang of envy enter his heart. Nonetheless he swallowed it and focused on the task at hand._

_He honestly had next to no idea how to go about this but the sense of urgency taking over his mind reminded him that he had no choice._

_With a deep and troubled breath, he deactivated his Innocence and removed his gloves as he took a step towards the laboring woman and steeled himself for what would inevitably come. He was the person who killed the Millennium Earl, the Noah, and even before that, he endured and survived the walking calamity called Cross Marian, Allen thought. He can do this..._

_..._

_By the gods, Allen actually did it... _

_He stood there watching the exhausted woman holding two swaddled, male newborn infants in her arms. Yes, the woman had not only been carrying one child but __**two**__. They turned out to be fraternal twins; the first one had a tuft of midnight blue hair on top of its head while the other had brown hair._

_It seemed that the two hobgoblins had somehow sensed two presences within the woman's womb. Allen was relieved that they had._

_Allen whad been caught off guard when the first one just up and combusted into blue flames a second after his delivery. He panicked, only to find out with awe that the flames were somehow not hurting him. Allen was suddenly reminded that the child's father was the Devil himself. Though he wondered why the same thing did not happen to the younger one._

_So now the woman, drained of all energy after her labor, was sluggishly rocking the two cooing babies with a tired but euphoric smile on her face. She was dead tired- Allen can see it clearly in her eyes- but she forced herself awake just so that she could convey to her newly born babies the love that she had for them. _

_Allen meanwhile wasn't sure what to feel. He'd seen death and even brought it unto someone else with his own hands, but __**never**__ in his one hundred and twenty-one years of life has he witnessed a life being brought unto the world, much less bring it with his own hands._

_Should he be happy and overjoyed that he helped a baby see the light of day, or should he be ashamed and horrified that he had done so with such bloodstained hands? Allen felt that it was a sacrilegious act: touching such an innocent and angelic being with such sinful hands._

_Pushing away these thoughts in his addled mind, he silently watched the woman with a sort of bittersweet feeling- with a bit of jealousy, Allen admits- in his heart._

_Suddenly, the two snowmen demon supposedly keeping watch outside entered the cave looking all flustered and pointing outside the mouth of the cave. Reacting quickly, Allen walked to the wall of the cave, letting the shadows shroud him from sight. For extra measure, he also activated his Innocence and wordlessly commanded his mask to obscure the upper part of his face. He didn't want to risk showing his face to other people, whoever they may be._

_Soon, two men entered the cave. One had graying hair, an obvious sign of his age, and red eyes wearing a black trench coat and a blue scarf wrapped around his neck. In his hand was a katana sheathed into a blue scabbard._

_The other man sparked Allen's curiosity. He had forest green eyes and shoulder length purple hair framing his face with a single strand jutting upwards. He wore a coat similar to the older man's coat but white in color instead. However, what really piqued Allen's interest was the pointy ears the the man possessed, a testimony of what the man could possibly be._

_The two men stood there staring at the woman, remaining oblivious to his presence. _

_The older of the pair spoke, "Yuri, those kids..."_

_Seeing that these two men knew the woman, Allen figured that she'd be in safe hands. He decided that it was his chance to leave the cave without detection. He lifted his foot and placed it in front of him ever so quietly, silently thanking the absence of snow on the cave floor as he would have made noise if there was._

_"Shiro...my children, aren't they cute?" The woman said tiredly._

_He quietly ghosted his way to the exit without ever catching the two men's attention. He turned to the woman, made sure that she could see him, and placed his index finger against his mouth. She didn't move to show that she acknowledged Allen's message but he figured that he made his point across._

_He then turned back to the mouth of the cave, already feeling the cold wind mercilessly nipping at the bottom part of his face. If he were to run out, the snow outside would make noise below his feet and would alert the two men to his presence and he wouldn't be able to run as fast he would through the snow that was deeper that Allen remembered. _

_He looked up and saw the trees on the cliff that he had jumped down from. An idea formed in his mind._

_Silently taking a deep breath, he quickly ran out and as he predicted, the two men turned to the source of disturbance._

_"Hey!" Allen heard one of them yell. He turned his head over his shoulder and saw that the man with gray hair was preparing to pursue him._

_"Shiro...wait! He..." Allen vaguely heard the woman's weary voice call out to the man. He didn't wait to hear what she was going to say and continued to run as fast as his legs could carry him across the snow that reached past his ankle. _

_He then shot out a tendril of cloth from Crown Clown and made it latch onto a tree branch. Allen soared across the snowy night as the tendril pulled him up towards the precipice, all the while feeling his body quake violently against the harsh frosty wind._

_Allen still had a lot of distance on the cliff to cover when he noticed that he was quickly losing angle, meaning that he wouldn't make it on top of the cliff with the way he was travelling now. So he allowed himself to collide with the cliff wall, grabbing hold of the first â€¦ that his hand could reach. With that, he started to climb up._

_'Why...am I getting a sense of deja vu from this?' Allen thought to himself._

_When he reached the top, he struggled to pull himself up. The job was especially made harder with his arms beginning to feel stiff and numb from the cold._

_Another idea formed in Allen's mind and he mentally slapped himself for his idiocy._

_He sent out another tendril from Crown Clown, again latching onto a tree branch just above him, and hauled himself up into the air, landing on the snowy ground with a soft crunch._

_Finding a way back to the city, he dashed through the dark forest. His heavy footsteps were accompanied by the sound of crunching twigs._

_'But first...I need to wash my hands somehow.' Allen though to himself. His bloodied hands felt sticky underneath his replaced gloves and remembering where the blood had come from in the first place...Allen slightly felt sick to his stomach. He didn't feel disgusted of delivering the babies, heavens no! Instead, he felt ill thnking about the fact that he had just touched... His face slightly took on a greenish color when he imagined what Cross would have thought if he heard about this._

_Allen sighed internally when he realized something else..._

_'Neah, are you seriously still brooding about this?'_

_Allen was surprised when Neah spoke almost like he was gagging. 'Allen. You. Just. __**Touched**__. A __**WOMAN'S-**__'_

_'ARGHHH! SHUT UP! I DON'T WANNA HEAR IT!'_

_**'See?! Exactly!'**_

_'OKAY, I GET IT! We. __**Are not**__. To discuss about this again. EVER!'_

_**'You were the one who brought it up, anyway...' **__Neah mumbled._

_**Flashback END**_

* * *

**NOTES:**

_(1) This is for you guys who might be wondering about this little bit. xD_

_As you guys know, Akuma is Japanese for demon. And as they are speaking in Japanese here, just pretend that they are despite the English text, Shiro could have been talking about the biblical demons or the mechanical ones. He deliberately used wordplay here._

**Alright, now that that's out of the way, I know what you guys are thinking. "What the hell happened to promising that you'll put up the next chapter in a week or two after the first one?!" Yes, I intended to put chapter 2 in a week or so after the first chapter. But Fulminata came into contact with me and said that he'll gladly beta the chapters and it threw off my plans. Well, I thought, "Quality would be better than putting chapters up at an early date than usual" if that makes sense. **

**Yes, three long mistake-filled chapters to beta-read so it's quite understandable that Fulmi took a month. Anyway, as I have told him, the gain is worth all that wait. The final products are waaay better than the drafts, trust me, and I can't thank him enough for taking the time and effort in bettering these chapters so half the credits go to Fulminata~! :3**

**Alright, I think I made that way too long. XD I also wanted to tell you guys that I made a DeviantArt account so if you want to check me out, my name's TwilightResonance. As of now, I've only posted three works. Imma be posting more soon. o3o**

**Hm, before I forget, OHMYGAWD -MAN'S COMING BACK ON JULY 4! HYPEHYPEHYPEHYPEHYPE! :O Slightly bad news is: Hallow will only air for 13 episodes! :( While I'm grateful that they're making a second/third season, I was hoping that it would be longer. I mean, come ooon, we've been waiting for this for 8 YEARS! Well, I guess you gotta be content with what you're given, huh? v.v**

**Okay okay, I'm done now. See you guys on the next chapter! D**


	3. Unraveling Our Intertwined Fates

**So...back in a week and two days. Wow. I saw the number of faves, follows, and reviews and I found that they shared one thing in common. They all ended with the number 8 whiiiich just so happens to be my lucky number! I was gonna put this up tomorrow but eh, why not! Hurray for the number 8! xD**

**Also, I'm surprised that I spotted over 15 ducks in the reviews! For the author that I mentioned, he/she only had one person respond to his/her survey so yeah. Have a cookie, guys! :D Also, should I inform the clueless ones? owo**

**So as always, credits to my awesome beta-reader Fulminata for beta-reading this chappie! O3O Oh, and one thing that I forgot to include in the last two chapters:**

**DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own -Man nor Ao no Exorcist as they belong to Katsura Hoshino and Kazue Kato respectively!**

* * *

_**"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the Devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." **__-1 Peter 5:8_

Chapter 3: Unraveling Our Intertwined Fates

Allen decided to return home when the sun began to hide away under the horizon, painting the sky with beautiful oranges, yellows, and pinks. Opening one of the multiple gateways that lead to an alleyway near the monastery, he hoped there wouldn't be someone there.

He exited the city filled with white-washed buildings and entered the dark alleyway illuminated by the light of the Ark's gate. The Ark left a bad taste in his mouth. Not because it had been their enemy's prized possession before Allen had gained ownership over it, but because it encouraged old memories to resurface. Memories of his friends.

Allen shook his head, _'I told myself that I'd move on. I promised them that I'd move on. But it's so hard.'_

When he went through the front doors of the monastery, he saw Kyodo, Nagatomo, and Shiro talking amongst themselves in the chancel. They stopped talking and turned their attention towards Allen who closed the large doors behind him.

"Ah! Just in time, Allen! We're planning on holding a send-off party for Yukio before he leaves tomorrow." Shiro informed him with am excited grin on his face.

"Really? Where are the others?" Allen asked him, noticing that Yukio, Rin, Maruta, and Izumi were absent.

"Yukio, Izumi, and Maruta are in the kitchen, preparing the food. As for Rin," if it was possible, Shiro's grin widened, "he's on his way home now. He got the job, Allen."

Allen's eyes brightened. "He did?"

"You heard right, kid. Now the question is whether he'd be able to keep it for more than a day." Shiro joked.

Allen chuckled at this.

Maruta then came running into the chancel. "Food's ready!"

"Great! Come on, Allen!"

Line Break

Everyone sat impatiently on their chairs as they waited for Rin to arrive. The heavenly aroma of the food wafted through the air, causing everyone to be more impatient than ever, especially Allen.

The kitchen was so silent that everyone could hear each other's growling stomachs.

Maruta sighed dejectedly, "Rin sure is late."

_'Something must have happened. If Rin was informed, and I'm sure he was, he'd come bolting in without a second thought...'_

_**'So? You gonna go check it out?'**_

_'And escape this hellhole of food aroma making me even more hungry? Heck yeah!'_

Allen pushed the chair behind him as he stood up. "I'll go look for him." Maybe that sounded too eager.

"Me too." Yukio said. Everyone else except Shiro followed one by one, probably volunteering to help look for Rin to escape sheer boredom.

Shiro sat there alone, worried that Rin's absence had something to do with his new job. He just sighed uneasily.

Line Break

"I'm so hungry..." Allen complained. It was a testament to the patience of Izumi, Nagatomo, Maruta, and Kyodo that they only glumly nodded and continued to trudge on. The troupe had been searching the area around the church and had seen no sign of either Yukio or Rin. Rumbling stomachs had called them back.

"I looked everywhere I could think of where Rin could be but he's nowhere! And I'm hungry..."

"Well since we didn't come across Yukio, I hope he's got better luck in finding Rin than us."

They reached the church gate, revealing Rin, Yukio, and Shiro standing side by side. All chatter died down when they saw Shiro together with Yukio and Rin.

"Eh? Please don't tell me you were here at home all this time?" Izumi said disbelievingly.

Rin looked down and rubbed the back of his neck with shame.

"No. I found him alone in the park a block from here." Yukio said.

Blink. Blink. Blink.

The five of them moaned.

"I didn't think of that!"

"Hmm...I actually thought of checking the park but..."

Amidst the moaning, Shiro nudged Rin at the ribs causing him to wince.

"Out of all the places...!"

"Seriously?"

"Still hungry..."

"I'm sorry."

Everyone shut up at that and turned to the owner of the voice who was none other than Rin bowing down. "Huh?"

"I...I made everyone worry and you guys even went through the trouble of looking for me so...I'm really sorry!"

"Eh? This isn't like you at all, Rin!"

"Yeah! Let's just go and eat! I'm starving!"

Surprised, Rin straightened himself and stared at them. He smiled with silent laughter. "Thanks, guys."

Shiro smirked. "Well too bad for Rin, I'm taking away his sukiyaki as punishment."

This time, Rin moaned in misery.

And the night was filled with jubilant laughter.

_Later..._

Shiro, with a candlestick and a key in hand, went to the altar in the chancel and pushed a nearby drawer away, revealing a secret stairway below it.

He went down the steps and walked towards a lone red cabinet in the small dark room, the only source of light being the little flame on the candle that Shiro was bringing.

He pushed the key into the keyhole and twisted it. He opened the cabinet with shaking hands and peered into its contents.

Shiro's breath hitched.

It was a blue sheathed katana, Kurikara, with a seal placed on the sheath crossing over to the handle.

"I thought so." His eyes filled with worry and sorrow as he stared at the katana. The future ahead of Rin was bleak. Something was bound to happen, Shiro knew. Something life shattering. And for as long as he was able, Shiro would protect him.

_Next morning..._

Rin woke up and sat upright on his bed yawning as he rubbed at his crusty eyes. He scrutinized the room and noticed two things.

One, Allen's futon was empty. (Allen had insisted that Rin should take the bed again since it made Allen feel like he was "imposing". Rin just went along with it since Allen had insisted so much.) Rin didn't even bat an eye, already accustomed to the fact that Allen always woke up early. The guy freaking wakes up at five in the morning like he was a soldier or something!

Two, there was a sheet of paper on top of Yukio's desk and immediately recognizable as a note. Rin slid his legs toward the edge of his bed and stood up, sluggishly walking towards the desk to read the contents of the note.

He picked it up and scanned the paper.

**'The moving truck came earlier than expected so I had to leave for the dorm early with my stuff. Take care of yourself, Rin.**

**P.S: Please don't make Dad worry any more. -Yukio'**

Rin huffed aloud with his hand tucked under his shirt, rubbing his stomach. "That heartless bastard. Didn't even wake me up to let me say goodbye."

He returned the note on the desk and walked over to the window to part the curtains and invite the sunlight in.

He sleepily closed his eyes as he ruffled his unruly bedhead, but when he opened his eyes, he saw a strange black thing whiz by across the window.

"Huh?"

He pushed the window open and peered outside, only to see hundreds of thousands of the same black creature meandering across the sky and creating a deafening symphony of incredibly high-pitched squeaks.

"W-What the...?!"

He quickly changed into his normal clothes and neatly folded his pajamas and laid them on his bed. He bolted out the room and made a mad dash for the front doors.

Rin hastily rushed outside, swatting away the flying black creatures that drifted too close for comfort.

_'What are these things?! Bugs?!'_

Across the road and sidewalks, he saw that the black things were gathering around some people in droves. Rin was disturbed when the people didn't take notice of them. They were right there! Why were they acting like they couldn't see them?!

"O-ku-mu-ra-kun~!" An annoying male voice suddenly called out in a sing-song tone. Rin knew who the guy was so he turned to the owner of the voice with an aggravated look on his face that turned into a shocked one when he saw a horde of black creatures flocking around the boy, as if they were moths and the boy was the flame.

"Can you come with us for a bit? I wanna talk to you."

Shiratori wore a creepy and obviously malicious grin on his face, wearing his usual red long-sleeved and checkered shirt with a blue vest over it and black pants and shoes. Behind him were his three cronies, completing his merry gang of delinquents.

Rin felt a bad feeling settle in his stomach, warning him of danger. His gut told him to decline Shiratori's request but his pride told him that he should.

Yes, he was no coward!

He lifted his foot over the threshold of the gate but paused before it could meet the ground again, remembering that Shiro had grounded him. He didn't want to disobey him, not after last night. But...

_'I'm sure that it'll only take a while. They won't even notice that I'm gone. And even if they did...I'm sure I can come up with a believable lie.'_

Seeing his hesitation, one of Shiratori's cronies spoke, jolting Rin out of his thoughts.

"What, are you scared, Okumura?" he mocked.

"You wanna hide under your Mommy's skirt? Oh wait, the bitch's not around anymore! My bad~!" They all cackled heartlessly at this, except Shiratori who was too busy still grinning.

Rin looked up at the boy who said that, a look of unbridled fury on his face.

But inside, his heart secretly ached at this comment.

Rin snarled at him, which the boy didn't notice as the fool continued guffawing, and took a few predatory steps toward him with clenched fists, wanting nothing but to _mangle _and _kill_ the bastards who dared mock his deceased mother even though Rin hadn't met her his whole life. He only ever saw her through pictures that Shiro had.

But remembering Shiro's scolding yesterday afternoon and Yukio's note, he stopped himself mid-step and took a deep breath. He clenched and unclenched his fists in an attempt to rein in his volatile temper.

_'I need to do something with my temper if I want to avoid getting into fights, for Dad's sake.'_

When Rin finally calmed down, depending on your definition of calm, he finally went towards the four annoying pricks.

"What do you ugly assholes want with me?" Rin said with an annoyed edge to his calm but deadly voice.

Shiratori ignored the insult and his grin grew impossibly wider.

"Before we go into that, we should go someplace else, eh?"

Rin scrunched his face up, not liking this one bit. Still, he complied.

"Lead the way." Rin grumbled unhappily.

"Let's go, then." Shiro turned around and, automatically, his cronies parted to make way for him like he was Moses and they were the Red Sea. Shiratori went ahead and his cronies and Rin followed suit.

Unknown to any of them, an individual had been watching their little exchange from a window in the monastery. His eyes narrowed dangerously as he stared at the silver-haired boy who possessed the appearance of a demon.

He could see the boy's soul behind the body itself and chained to the soul was a grotesque looking demon looming over the boy's body. It had a gigantic pitch black body, white claws grew from its fingers, and a black tufted tail swished from behind it.

_'This demon...what does he want with Rin?' _As the demon went out of range, his eye deactivated with a whine. Allen frowned as he remembered being told by Shiro that he had grounded Rin.

_'I have a bad feeling about this...'_

_**'Well? What are you going to do?'**_

_'Follow them, of course. That demon's up to something and it's nothing good, I can tell.'_

Without another word or thought, he sprinted for the front doors. Before he could even pull the doors open, a voice stopped him.

"Where are you going Allen?" His heart jumped up to his throat in surprise as he turned around, only to see that it was Shiro.

Shiro lightly chuckled. "Are you going out for a walk?"

"A-Ah. Yes, I am. Is there something you needed?" Allen asked politely. Secretly, he wanted this to be over with. He was going to lose them at this rate!

Shiro raised his eyebrows in amusement. "No, nothing. Just wanted to ask why you're running out the monastery as if there's a fire." Shiro blinked. "Unless there is a fire, in which case—"

Allen tittered. "Er...umm...I just wanted to go walking before it gets dark."

_**'Allen?! It's still noon! If you're gonna lie, at least do it right!'**_

_'Ack!'_

"What are you talking about? It's twelve in the afternoon. There's plenty of time before evening." Shiro asked with his head tilted to the side in confusion.

"Oh, right! Oops! My sense of time is getting as lousy as my sense of direction, it seems! I'm, ah, gonna go now, Father Fujimoto!"

Without waiting for a response, he pulled the doors open and accidentally slammed it loudly as he closed it behind him. The door opened again and a head poked out.

"Sorry!"

And with that, Allen closed the door again but this time, he made sure to do it as gently as possible.

Shiro was left dumbfounded.

_'What just happened?'_

Allen sprinted towards the direction he saw the boys had gone. Thankully, it wasn't crowded outside so he could easily make his way around without having to push his way through throngs of people.

He quickened up his pace, fearing that they'd already gone too far.

Rin POV

Not too far ahead from Allen's frantic search, Rin, Shiratori, and the other guys arrived at an alley where there was a barrel that contained a lone metal rod. Fire crackled from within the barrel and cinder floated around like dandelion fluff in a breeze.

"Sorry about what happened a few days ago. We were just playing with the pigeons, but my hand acted on its own and killed them," Shiratori said with an indiffrent expression.

_'Pfft, that's the worst bullshit I've heard in my entire life! Is this guy playing with me?!'_

"How much should I pay?" he continued.

"Huh?" Rin had a feeling where this was headed to.

Shiratori elaborated. "I don't expect someone like you to know this but, my parents are kinda famous so I'll probably get into True Cross Academy. It'd be a bother if rumors start spreading."

"Man, you'll go to the same school as Yukio? That sucks."

"Exactly. So hold your tongue and in exchange, I'll pay up. Just name the price," Shiratori continued, "So let's just keep this between us, okay?"

"Huh? And here I was wondering why ugly pricks like you were wasting my time. I don't need your cash to keep my mouth shut." Rin said and then turned to leave. He didn't need money from someone like Shiratori. Not only was it wrong, but it also bruised his pride. "I've got more important stuff to do so don't bother me anymore."

He had to come back soon before anyone notices that he was gone. He didn't want to get into any more trouble than he was already in. That, and Shiratori was starting to creep him out.

Shiratori laughed, making Rin stop. "Trying to play the cool guy, eh? Seriously, be honest with yourself! You're so poor you can't even get into a proper school!"

Shiratori then held up a ten-thousand-yen bill and began waving it in a tantalizing manner. "Take it! Your brother, Yukio, worked his ass off and got in with a scholarship, right? I'm surprised, you guys being poor and all! He probably stole the money needed to get into the Academy! Or maybe he hit the casinos?" Shiratori jeered.

Rin turned his head over his shoulder and stared at Shiratori with wide eyes, not because of shock, but because of white hot rage.

"But I suppose desperate times call for desperate-"

He wasn't given the chance to finish his sentence as Rin punched him in the face so hard that he was flung to the side, rendered on one knee and his hand on his cheek where Rin had punched him.

"You fucking bastard, you can talk shit about me all you want, but I don't wanna ever hear you spouting jackshit about Yukio, ya hear me?!" Rin snarled with a deadly fire burning in his eyes. He was mad-no, he was _beyond _livid!

"That hurt...you really went too far!" Shiratori yelled and stood up. He almost sounded surprised.

Suddenly, his fingernails grew dangerously longer and sharper, a tail sprouted from his backside, his ears became long and pointed and finally, horns resembling a ram's grew on the sides of his head. Rin couldn't believe what he was seeing. He looked like a _demon_.

Rin froze, unable to think clearly. But one thought really registered in his mind: _'He's not...human?'_

Shiratori's guys took Rin's moment of vulnerability and pinned him down on the ground.

_'Wha-?! Can't...can't they see him?! Why aren't they afraid?!'_

Shiratori stalked towards the barrel and pulled out the metal rod, revealing the bottom part of the rod to be glowing reddish-orange with heat.

"How does that saying go again? An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and an evil for an evil, right? Heh, I'm going to enjoy hearing you scream and beg for forgiveness for what you've done to me!" he cackled as he went closer and closer to Rin.

The level of implied brutality to come didn't sit right with Shiratori's cronies. One of the guys spoke nervously, "T-That's enough, Shiratori. If you go any furth-"

"Shut up!" Shiratori interrupted him by kicking him up his chin, causing him to fly backwards. He crouched down in front of Rin and then grabbed a handful of his hair to forcefully bring his head up.

Rin felt immense fear and panic well up in his heart, making it pound wildly against his ribcage.

_'He-He's really serious about this...!'_

He opened his mouth to call for help but his words all died in his mouth, paralyzed with fear.

"Hm...where should I burn you? Your nose? Your mouth? Or how about your eyes?!" Shiratori cackled once again, his eyes gaining a manic glint as he drew the burning hot rod closer to his face.

_**"I WANNA HEAR YOU SCREAM!"**_

The rod was so close to Rin's face that he could feel the searing heat coming off of it. His eyes widened.

Badump. Badump. Badump.

The dread and trepidation was overwhelming him he can hardly breathe!

Badump! Badump!

Rin snapped.

_"S-STOP!" _he finally screamed, pent up terror evident in his face and voice. This seemed to serve as a trigger as Rin suddenly exploded in blue flames, throwing Shiratori backwards.

The lackeys who had been pinning down Rin were now whimpering as they were burned severely and immediately crawled backwards. The three of them ran away in fear of what they had just witnessed.

Shiratori would have chewed them out for running away like cowards but right now he was staring at Rin in awe as the flames slowly died down into nothing.

Meanwhile, Rin was staring at his hands with wonder and shock. _'What the hell was that? And why am I not hurt?'_

"Satan's blue flames...there is no doubt. You are the rumored half-breed offspring of Satan. I wasn't mistaken after all." he muttered to himself as he set down the metal rod that he was still holding on the ground. He slowly walked towards Rin and then crouched down to his level.

"My name is Astaroth, the Demon King of Rot. Come with me to Gehenna, Satan has been waiting for you...brother." Shiratori, or Astaroth, offered him a hand. Rin, on the other hand, was having trouble processing the situation.

_'Satan? Brother?!'_

"What are...?"

Running footsteps echoed in the alley. The two turned to the direction of the sound but before they could assess who the intruder was, Astaroth got kicked right in the cheek, sending him flying.

It took time, but Rin finally realized who Shiratori's assailant was.

"A-Allen?!"

But Allen, who had his left hand over his left eye for some reason, didn't respond.

_'How did Allen find me?'_

"Y-You...! That stench! You're an Exorcist who carries the power of God!" Rin could have sworn that he detected fear in Shiratori's shaky voice.

_'Allen's an exorcist? And what did he mean by the "power of God"?' _He looked up at Allen once again.

"Allen. What's he-?"

"Rin, run! Now!" Allen told him with an air of authority that Rin failed to notice.

Shiratori stood once again. "Ah, I see! You're the one who Father met fifteen years ago! The Exorcist who also hosts a Noah!" he exclaimed with contempt.

Allen tilted his head to the side in fake confusion. "What are you talking about? You must have mistaken me for someone else."

Shiratori bursted in laughter at this. "Oh? Trying to hide the truth, eh? No matter! Father will be pleased when I bring you home along with the young Prince!" he cried in excitement.

"Young Prince?" Rin questioned. Whatever was happening, he was barely following any of it. Allen was an exorcist? He was some kind of prince?

"You don't know? I thought you knew of your heritage!" he exclaimed and then cackled loudly.

"Heritage? What are you talking about?!" Rin angrily demanded.

This made Shiratori laugh harder. He sounded maniac. He sounded insane.

"You are a son of Satan, the only one to inherit his blue flames!" he proclaimed with a grin on his face and his arms outstretched.

Rin's eyes widened considerably. _'W-What did he just say...?'_

* * *

**Hurray for early updates, LOL! Aye so I just remembered that I promised a list of things here that are different from the old version because I had thought that some o' you would be too lazy to reread but I guess that that's not a problem. Thanks for your never-ending support, guys! c;**

**Oh, just wanted to share. There's really one thing that's stopping me from writing chapters as much as I should. And that one thing...is Elsword. "School" is gonna be the second thing by next month, though. e.e**

**Alright, don't forget to R&amp;R, guys! :)**


	4. Spinning the Wheel of Fate

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own -Man nor Ao no Exorcist. They are owned by Katsura Hoshino and Kazue Kato respectively.**

**This chapter was beta-read by Fulminata so half the credits go to him~ :D**

* * *

_**"My son, walk not thou in the way with them, refrain thy foot **__**from their path. For their feet run to evil and make haste to shed blood. Surely, in vain, the net is spread in sight of any bird."**_ _-Proverbs 1:15-17_

Chapter 4: Spinning the Wheel of Fate

_'W-What did he just say...?'_

Rin couldn't believe this. No, he refused to believe this!

_'No! I'm not a demon! I can't be!'_

After so many years of adults accusing him to be a demon child, he tried so _SO_ hard to prove them wrong. To prove them all wrong!

But no matter how much he tried, no matter how many times he tried helping those that needed it, adults still despised him. Even kids stayed away from him! He had always been lonely in his childhood, but he never told his father about it.

_'Rin is the son of Satan? Does that mean that he and Yukio are the sons of that woman from fifteen years ago? The ones that I delivered myself? I can't believe this.' _Allen reflected with a flabbergasted expression before shaking his head. _'I can't think about that now. That demon wants something with Rin and whatever it is, it's not good. I need to stop him.'_

Allen had to buy enough time for Rin to escape. In one swift movement, he sprinted towards Astaroth and slammed him into the ground by his neck.

"Now, Rin! Run!" Allen yelled over his shoulder to Rin.

"Huh?" Rin was shocked out of his stupor. "W-What about you, Allen?!"

"I'll be fine! Just _go_!"

Rin hesitated, not wanting to leave Allen alone with the crazed Demon King.

Astaroth, seeing his captor's moment of vulnerability, took the chance to grab both sides of Allen's shirt and then flung him to the side with an enraged cry. Allen crashed into a wall, feeling the air knocked from his lungs. He slid down to the floor and tried to regain his bearings.

"Allen!" Rin yelled worriedly as he stared at Allen's slumped form.

Shiratori cackled. "Hey, hey. Do you really think that you have the time to worry about someone other than you?!"

Rin gasped and immediately turned to where he last saw Shiratori.

But he wasn't there.

Before Rin could even think about where he could have gone or what to do, he yelped when he was suddenly kicked down to the ground from behind.

Shiratori stomped his foot on Rin's back a couple of times before finally settling to painfully digging his foot in, causing Rin to gasp in pain after each blow as he started to lose his breath.

Shiratori bent his leg that was still on top of Rin's back and rested his elbow on his knee as he looked down at the back of Rin's head in sadistic pleasure. "I really didn't wish to resort to rough-housing my brother. Or...half-brother at least. But you have left me no choice. I'm bringing you back to Gehenna no matter what!"

"I hope you haven't counted me out yet!" A familiar voice shouted.

Allen jumped and then grabbed both sides of Astaroth's collar and flipped his body so that he was now upside down on Astaroth's shoulders. With a yell, he then went down and landed behind Astaroth, bringing Astaroth with him and throwing him down on the ground hard with a loud crash.

"Urk...!"

Without a second thought, Allen took Rin's wrist and pulled, urging him to stand.

"Come on, Rin! Can you stand?!"

Rin didn't answer- or rather, he _couldn't_ answer- as he was wheezing in pain and gulping in as much air as he could into his lungs.

Seeing this, Allen took Rin's arm and slung it over his shoulder and placed his other arm around Rin's waist for support. He was still quite shaken up after Astaroth's throw, but Rin wasn't exactly being cooperative right now.

Allen moved his head to the side to prevent Rin from seeing his still activated eye, grimacing in pain.

So with Rin in tow, Allen hastily stumbled to leave before Astaroth could recover from his blow. He was finally nearing the alley's exit when he heard a shuffle of movement behind him. He didn't have to look behind him to know what it was. Allen let his instincts and reflexes dictate the way he moved next.

Without thinking, Allen pushed Rin to the side and then crouched down just in time for a fist to meet the air where his head had been just seconds before. He swept his feet under Astaroth's, sending him down on his butt.

"You just don't know when to give up, do you?" Allen spat as he stood, looming over Astaroth's form.

"You took the words right out of my mouth, you fucker! But no, I _will_ go back to Gehenna with the Prince! And I won't let anything, especially a petty Exorcist, stop me from getting what I want!" Astaroth thundered. He pounced on Allen and then wrapped his hand around his neck as they both fell to the ground. Allen could feel his long claw-like fingernails painfully digging in into his neck, drawing out the smallest beads of blood.

"Allen!"

"I can just fucking snap your neck right now and get it all over with! Then no one can stop me from taking the Prince! **NO ONE**!" Astaroth exclaimed in complete hysteria.

_'This guy..! Why can't he just stay down?! Maybe if I activate my Innocence, I'll have a better chance against him but...Rin will see!'_

"Well, Exorcist? Got anything left to say?" Astaroth sneered with contempt.

_'Tch, I see no other way out of this. I have no choice!'_

Allen pretended to look defeated as he choked out his words, "Ye—es, in fact, I do—"

"No! _Allen_! What are you doing?! Fight back!" Rin said pleadingly, his eyes wild.

Astaroth grinned at the supposed effect he had on the Exorcist. His grin fell, however, when a smug and confident smile took over Allen's quivering lips.

"I-INNO...CENCE! AC-ACTIV-!"

But before he could finish the words of invocation, a new voice echoed throughout the alley.

"Mischief is in their hearts."

Everyone in the alley, except Allen who from his pinned position settled for listening, turned to the intruder. Rin watched with wide eyes.

"Give them according to their deeds and according to the wickedness of their endeavors." Shiro continued his chant with an air of solemnity as he slowly walked towards Astaroth. "Give them after the work of their hands, render them to their desert. Smite them down and let them not rise again."

Astaroth finally caught on to what the old man was saying and knew its purpose. "Don't tell me...you're another exorcist?!" he snarled lividly and then relinquished his hold on Allen's neck. Allen sat up from his position and then hunched over on the ground taking large gulps of air as his hand massaged his bruising neck.

Allen's eyes widened once more at what he heard. _'He's an exorcist?!'_

_**'Most likely an exorcist of the so-called "True Cross Order". Do we count that?'**_

Shiro now sported a smug smirk on his face. "Blessed be the Lord."

"Dad..." Rin muttered in amazement as he stared at the person in question.

"Hmph! I shall seal that mouth of yours so that you cannot spout your wretched words!" Astaroth sneered and then charged.

Shiro however remained calm and continued chanting. "You have heard my curse."

Astaroth lashed out at Shiro, intending to put his hand around Shiro's neck and snap it. But Shiro stoically dodged to the side and grabbed Astaroth's outstretched arm.

"The Lord is my strength," Shiro threw him down on the ground with strength that was quite surprising for a man of his age.

"And my shield." He put the index and middle finger of his right hand out and the others down. He brought the two connecting fingers down towards Astaroth and then yelled with finality in his voice:

"Thou shall perish!"

After those words were recited, a thick black mist erupted from Astaroth's mouth as he screamed. The demonic features were now gone and Shiratori was now slumped down on the ground unconscious.

Shiro walked towards Allen who was still hunched over, breathing slightly heavily.

"Are you okay, Allen?" Shiro asked him with a concerned look on his face and then offered him a hand. Allen took it with a second thought.

"Yes...I'm fine, thank you. Not to complain about your impeccable timing but how'd you know that we were in trouble?"

Shiro smirked and then pulled Allen up. "Come on Allen, give me some damn credit. Do you even know how suspicious you seemed earlier with how skittish you were behaving? I only decided to look for you just recently and it looks like I arrived just at the nick of time."

Allen nodded in response.

"D-Dad, you..." Rin spoke, his voice still slightly trembling.

Shiro turned to meet Rin who was still on the ground where Allen had left him.

"Are you hurt somewhere?"

"No, not really. Um...is Shiratori okay...?"

"Him? Oh, he's alright now that the demon has left. He'll be waking up soon."

"D-Demon?" Rin repeated with wide eyes.

"You can see them now, can't you?" Shiro asked grimly, though it sounded more like a statement rather than a question. Shiro brought his hand up and gestured at one of those black creatures whizzing past his face.

"What are these things anyway? They're all over the place!" Rin exclaimed.

"They're called Coal Tars. They're harmless most of the time since they just gather around dark places and evil humans." Shiro answered the number one quetion that has been plaguing Allen and Rin's minds all day—or in Allen's case, years.

"This world consists of two dimensions facing each other like mirrors. One is our material world called Assiah. The other is the nothingness of demons called Gehenna. These two worlds are separate and aren't meant to interact with each other at all. However, this doesn't stop demons from possessing material objects here in Assiah to interact with our world, to carry out their evil plans for humankind." Shiro explained as both Rin and Allen listened intently with fascination.

"Stand up, Rin! The demons have found out the truth about you! And they _will_ hunt you down! You need to hide and evade them in the meantime!"

"Stop feeding me your bullshit old man!" Rin abruptly screamed, his fists clenching and unclenching beside him.

"Why would demons come after me?! I don't even have anything to do with all this freaky nonsense! I...I can't be, right?" Rin choked with denial. "I can't be a demon's spawn, right? I'm a human child, you said so yourself when I was a kid!" Rin's eyes shone with desperate hope. But it was so fragile- so delicate, and Shiro didn't want to take it away from the boy.

Shiro hesitated, sorrow and remorse flashing in his conflicted eyes.

"...I'm sorry."

And just like that, the hope in Rin's eyes shattered like the thinnest glass.

Those two words...those two words were enough to tell Rin that Shiro had lied to him, solidifying his childhood fears. And it scared him. No, this wasn't real. All of this can't be real!

"Rin...you are the child of a demon born of a human."

Allen quietly watched and listened from the sidelines. He didn't dare make a sound, didn't dare interfere with this. Unfortunately, his eye did it for him as it activated, signifying that the demons were coming. Allen quickly put his hand over his eye.

"Father Fujimoto, we need to go. Now."

Shiro turned to Allen. "What's wrong, Allen?"

Allen didn't have to answer as the air suddenly became thick and dark with the presence of numerous demons.

They could vaguely hear the demons squealing, "Young Prince! It's the young Prince!"

"Your demon parent isn't just a run-of-the-mill old demon, Rin."

Shiro grabbed Rin's arm. "You're the child of the Lord of all demons..."

_'No...please! Don't say it! DON'T SAY IT!'_

"...Satan."

* * *

It was getting darker and darker as they leapt from roof to roof, hastily making their way back home. Shiro ran in front of Rin while Allen was behind to make sure that no demon snuck up from behind.

"The path of the righteous shall not be revealed to the unfaithful! I lower the Ladder of Jacob with the aid of the Lord's hand!" Shiro chanted with the index and middle fingers of his right hand up and the others down.

After he finished his chant, he made a slicing motion with his two connecting fingers and the demons which were coming at them vaporized into thin air with angered roars. Shiro had been exorcising demons that came their way ever since they left the alley.

Allen was surprised that Shiro was still capable of all this. They've been running and leaping over rooftops nonstop while he had the task of exorcising the demons thrown into the mix.

Neah chuckled, _**'You gotta admit, the old fart's pretty amazing!'**_

Allen rolled his eyes but couldn't help but agree himself.

_**'Oh, don't look away now, Allen. That's gonna be quite a jump.'**_

Allen nodded to himself and then quickened his pace a bit to increase his momentum. Allen realized with a start that he'd gone ahead Rin. When he and Shiro landed, Allen noticed that the gap would be too wide for someone inexperienced to properly and successfully jump over.

Rin clumsily landed on the ledge of the roof, losing his footing and balance. In the nick of time, Allen turned around and grabbed Rin's wrist with his free hand, his other hand still on his eye.

"Thanks." Rin mumbled as he was pulled back on the roof. Allen turned to see Shiro bent over panting.

He wheezed. "Geez, I'm way too old for this..."

Shiro took out his phone from his pocket and then punched in a series of numbers. When he was done, he put it against his ear.

"Pick up, pick up, pick up, come _on_." Allen heard Shiro mutter to himself. After a few rings, the person that Shiro was trying to reach seemed to have finally answered the call.

"...?"

"Nagatomo? Thank goodness! Listen to me. Put up the defenses in the monastery. Right now. It's urgent."

"...?"

"Something came up and the demons found Rin. I'm with him and Allen right now. We're making our way home. We'll probably back in approximately...thirty minutes. I want all the defenses ready by the time we return. Understood?"

"...!"

"Alright, Nagatomo, don't worry. I'm hanging up now."

Shiro hung up and put it back in his pocket. "Come on, we need to hurry. There's not much time 'til dark. We need to get home before then."

"Is something going to happen at night?" Allen asked curiously.

"Demons become the most active and powerful at night. They'll be more relentless in trying to get to you, Rin. We need to be extra careful."

"Wait, you mean this isn't over yet?" Rin groused.

"Hardly. The demons won't stop until they get what they want. We must make haste, the sun's setting."

So they continued their journey home. Just as Shiro feared, night had fallen and the task of exorcising the demons alone became harder as the demons increased in number. But Shiro pulled through.

Several minutes later, they finally arrived at the monastery safely. They could see Kyodo and Nagatomo standing by the front gates. They looked relieved when they saw the three approaching them.

"Nagatomo, Kyodo!"

"Welcome back!" The two greeted them in unison.

"Did you get everything done?" Shiro asked them as they hurried into the monastery.

"We've already drawn threefold barriers around the monastery." Nagatomo reported to Shiro.

As they entered the chancel, Allen could see that everyone was hustling around.

"Double it. We're being chased by Astaroth's minions; we won't be able to hold out until morning like this. Pour triple-C concentration Holy Water into the sewers! We won't let them take us by surprise!" Shiro ordered them as Maruta and Izumi walked out the monastery carrying large containers presumably containing the Holy Water.

"Yes, sir!"

Allen suddenly felt tingling sensations in his left eye. Quickly, Allen tipped his head to the side and covered his eye seconds before it activated. Shiro, however, took notice of this.

"Allen, what's up with your eye? You've been covering it ever since we left the alley."

"Nothing, Father Fujimoto. It's just that, my eye's been getting this itch all day." Allen tittered.

Everyone suddenly felt the ground quake accompanied by a loud thundering sound outside. There was another. And another. And another.

"W-What's that?" Rin whispered to Allen, his whole form trembling with fear and anxiety.

"The demons who're after you, no doubt. I suppose they're being repelled by the defenses around the monastery." Allen replied soberly. Hearing Allen speak made Rin shuffle his feet. He has never seen or heard Allen so serious like this. Allen was usually cheerful with a bit of a carefree side to him, but now Allen seemed like a completely different person.

"Rin! Allen! Come here, both of you!" Shiro's loud and commanding voice called to them. The two approached him who was moving away the altar, revealing a stairway which led to a hidden room that neither Allen nor Rin knew about.

"Follow me."

Both boys complied and went down the secret stairs behind Shiro who had a candlestick in hand. In the center of the small hidden room was a big red cabinet. Shiro walked towards it and then inserted the key he was holding into the keyhole.

Shiro opened the cabinet and both Allen and Rin were surprised to see a sheathed katana whose scabbard and hilt was blue. There seemed to be a piece of paper that had something written on it stuck on the scabbard.

"This is Kurikara, a Demon-slaying blade," Shiro explained, "It's a legendary sword passed down since ancient times." he continued and then took the katana with delicate care.

"Rin, your demonic powers are sealed within this sword by the scabbard and this sealing charm right here." Shiro pointed to the piece of paper.

"My...demonic powers?"

Shiro nodded solemnly. "This sword is more important than your own life." he said as he handed the katana to Rin. "_Never_ hand it to someone else, not even Yukio. Never let go of it even as you sleep, you are to protect this sword with your life. And most importantly, _never_ under _any_ circumstance are you to draw this sword. If you do, your demonic powers will awaken and you will never be human again."

"Wait wait, if I'm a demon...what about Yukio? Is he...?"

Shiro shook his head. "His body was weak when both of you were still in your mother's womb. Satan's power rejected his weakness and only accepted you."

The trio stood in silence for a while.

"Hey Dad...all this time everyone knew that I was the son of a demon? Why did you guys hide it from me?!" Rin's voice was rising.

Shiro just looked down morosely. "I'm sorry, Rin. I had to raise you as a human child. You were only allowed to live on that condition. That's why we had to lie to you. And..."

Shiro looked up at Rin, his sad eyes piercing into his son, blood or no.

"I wanted you to have nothing to do with demons. But...I suppose it's impossible to keep the son of Satan away from his own kind. The future ahead of you is dark. I'm glad that I was able to give you a semblance of a normal and happy life before your time was up."

Suddenly, the ground shook and a loud crash echoed from upstairs. Shiratori, presumably being possessed by Astaroth once again, had forcefully rammed a truck into the monastery, creating a massive gaping hole on where the entrance should have been. Ghouls were flooding inside.

"I have come for you, young Prince~! Let's head back to Gehenna, shall we?!" Astaroth yelled with a frenzied grin. He extended his arm to impossible lengths and grabbed Rin's leg and wrenched. Before he was able to pull Rin towards him, Nagatomo splashed holy water on Astaroth, forcing him to release his hold on Rin's leg and recoil in pain.

Rin fell to the ground on his butt with a thud. Shiro called Rin's name but he sat there unresponsive and staring at Shiratori in shock. Seeing this, Shiro pulled him up by his arm and dragged him back to the secret stairway with Allen following close behind.

"The demons will weaken at dawn. When that time comes, get the hell out of here and hide where they can't find you! Take my phone with you. There's only one contact saved in there. He's my best friend. Call him as soon as you leave the monastery, he'll protect you!"

"Wait a min-!"

But Shiro wasn't going to have any of it. He carelessly shoved Rin down the stairs and then approached Allen.

He leaned towards Allen and then whispered, "Allen, listen to me...I know who and what you are."

Allen felt his breath get taken away and his blood freeze when he heard that.

As a last ditch effort, he stuttered, "Um...I-I don't know what you're talking about, Father Fujimoto."

"I don't have time for this! I know that you're Allen Walker, an Exorcist of the Black Order. I know about your arm. I know that you're a Noah. I _know_. Just please, listen to what I'm going to say next." Shiro pleaded.

_**'Give it up, Allen. He knows. There's no point in hiding it any further. Just listen to what he's going to say.'**_

Allen bit his lip. The secret he so heavily guarded and secured was unearthed by a mere priest. This was absurd.

"...Fine..." The circumstances hadn't given him much choice.

Shiro sighed in relief. "Thank you, Allen."

"Just get on with it, please."

"Right. I have a favor to ask of you. Once you leave the monastery, please look after Rin. I know that you're capable. Go to the alley I found you in earlier. We'll rendezvous there and we'll talk about our next course of action."

Allen nodded. "Alright. I understand, Father Fujimoto. I promise I'll take care of Rin. But we're not yet done. Once all of this is over, we're going to have a talk."

Shiro nodded. "Of course. Thank you, Allen. Now, stay down here with Rin. Let me and the others handle Astaroth and his demons." Shiro said as he pushed Allen towards the stairway.

"Wait! I can help, Father Fujimoto!" Allen protested.

"No. As much as I want to say that we need all the help that we can get, someone needs to look after Rin. As I have said earlier, the demons weaken at dawn. Run away with him and go with the plan, understand? In the meantime, do not let Rin out of there."

Allen pursed his lips and nodded, seeing the logic in Shiro's argument. He went down the stairs and allowed Shiro to move the altar once again to close the passageway.

It was only then that Rin recovered from his fall and then hastily climbed the stairs, sidestepping out of Allen's reach and pounding on the bottom of the altar sealing the passageway.

"Dammit, old geezer. I wasn't done talking to you yet!" Rin yelled angrily as if Shiro could hear him.

"Rin," Allen mumbled softly.

Crashes, shouts, and gunshots could be heard and multiple tremors shook the ground.

"I don't like this! They're out there fighting for me and I can't even do a single thing!" Rin looked down and clenched his fists.

Allen sighed. "Even if you were to help them, you'd be more of a hindrance than a help."

Rin stared at Allen, offended. But determination quickly replaced it.

"I could still try!" Rin countered.

_**'Geez, this kid is as stubborn as a mule. Irrational, too.'**_

"Just stay here, Rin. Please. Father Fujimoto surely wouldn't want you in harm's way."

Rin bristled. "But Allen-!"

Allen now adopted a stern look on his face, quickly shutting Rin up.

"Are you telling me that you don't trust in their abilities as exorcists?"

That silenced Rin. He gritted his teeth in defeat.

"But I hate being so useless..." Rin admitted with every ounce of frustration leaking through his voice.

Allen's gaze softened at this. He completely understood how Rin felt. They were here safe and sound but only because the others were outside fighting.

_'Just like that time when I had to stay in the Asian Branch HQ after what happened in China...'_ Allen reminisced and shuddered at the memory of his near-death experience.

A crash and a shout later, everything was suddenly completely silent. A few minutes passed until the altar was finally pushed away and light came pouring in the dark room, forcing its two occupants to shield their eyes from the blinding light.

"Come on boys, you can come out now." Shiro said.

Allen nodded in compliance and climbed the stairs with Rin behind him. Both abruptly gasped when they saw the state of the chancel, or what was left of it. There were fungi everywhere for some reason, and the pews were either upturned, broken in half, or thrown to across the room. The monastery itself was a total wreck. In short, the small church had been transformed from a House of God into a warzone.

"Nagatomo, Maruta! Get the car ready."

"Yes, sir." The two grunted. They struggled to stand up with their injuries but they managed nonetheless and went to carry out their orders.

"Izumi, Kyodo! Put the Seal of Tetramorph on the boy. And don't forget to perform the purification ritual."

"Understood." Both men said as they ran to Shiratori who lay beaten and unconscious on the ground.

Shiro then turned to Allen behind him. "Allen there's been a slight change of plans. I'll tell you about it later."

Allen only nodded.

"Hey! Wait a sec! Shouldn't we treat their wounds first?!" Rin protested.

Shiro, stressed from everything that had happened, chose that moment to lash out. "Right now, your safety is prioritized above all else! You are the target of _every_ demon in existence! When are you going to get that through your thick skull?! We need to get you out of here as soon as possible!" Shiro yelled loudly, almost too loudly in fact. Rin misinterpreted his words, a look of hurt crossed his face but it was soon replaced with stoicism.

"...I see. So if I leave, everything will be over?"

Allen shuffled his feet uncomfortably as a sinking feeling settled itself in his stomach. It felt like finality, like endings.

"Fine then! I'll get out of your hair if that's what you want." Rin started walking away.

"Rin!" Shiro ran after him and grabbed his forearm to stop him but Rin swiped his hand away angrily. Rin's pent up stress and frustration since finding out his true identity exploded and without thinking, he blurted out acidic words he knew he would regret.

"Get your hands off me! I should have known that you'd throw me away anyway! Is it because we're not related by blood?! Does that make us strangers?!" Rin yelled angrily, ignoring the hurt look in Shiro's face. Allen decided that he had stop this.

So with heavy footsteps, he stalked towards Rin, put his hand on Rin's shoulder, and shoved him back.

"Rin, stop it!" Allen shouted with barely contained fury. How dare Rin raise his voice against Shiro! He had been nothing but a good father to him! After everything Shiro had clearly given to ensure Rin received the most human childhood possible!

Rin forcefully pushed Allen's hand from his shoulder.

"This has nothing to do with you, Allen! So stay out of this!"

"Nothing to do with me? I don't care! Apologize to your father now, Rin!"

"What the fuck do you know?! You've never had a father so shut the hell up!"

Allen shakily took a step back, his eyes dilating with hurt as memories of Mana replayed in his mind. Shiro noticed the sudden change in Allen's demeanor.

"Rin!" Shiro attempted to reprimand him, but Rin wasn't listening and plowed on mercilessly.

"And you're not even my father! You're probably tired of pretending to be mine, aren't you?!" Rin raved on. "Don't screw with me! Don't you ever call yourself my father again!"

A loud smack resounded across the whole chancel.

Everyone else in the chancel had been ignoring them, doing what Shiro had ordered them to do. But after hearing the noise, their curious eyes finally turned to the three.

"It's almost daybreak! Hurry and pack up!" Shiro commanded stonily and with authority. Rin gritted his teeth.

"Fine!" So he angrily stormed out the chancel and left for his room to pack up. When he was finally gone, Shiro stared at his slightly reddened palm.

_'Did I really slap him that hard?' _Shiro thought with remorse.

Allen saw Shiro's expression and cautiously asked him, "Father Fujimoto...are you alright?"

Shiro looked up to meet Allen's eyes which still seemed to have remnants of hurt in them.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about me. More importantly, are you...?" Shiro trailed off.

Allen looked away pensively and unconsciously begun rubbing his left arm with a gloved hand. "I'm quite alright, thank you."

Shiro stared at him with sympathy. "I'm sorry about what Rin said."

Allen stared at him in surprise but it quickly mellowed down to a sad smile on his lips.

"You're really amazing." Allen whispered to himself.

"Pardon?"

"It's nothing. I'll go check on the others."

Shiro nodded and then returned his gaze to his hand. He had become so distraught he didn't notice that he had dropped his mental barrier. By the time he realized...

_...it was too late._

Shiro felt his heart twinge painfully. Agony brought him down to his knees with a loud grunt, his hands clutching his chest. He tried to fight back the presence that was eating away at his soul but...

Allen turned around and jumped with a start when he saw Shiro hunched over on the ground.

_...This was a fight he was going to lose..._

"Father Fujimoto! What's wrong?!" Allen cried as he dashed back towards Shiro.

_**"Finally!"**_A voice boomed triumphantly inside Shiro's mind.

"No! Don't come any closer!" Shiro yelled and raised his palm, signalling Allen to stay back.

"Reverend Fujimoto, what's-?!" Nagatomo this time tried to ask him but paused as realization and horror crossed his face. "No, don't tell me-?!"

_No, I can't let him! I __**won't**__ let him! I have to...I have to push him back...!_

_**"AT LONG LAST...!"**_

_...I can't. He's way too strong. I'm sorry everyone…_

Helpless on the ground, Shiro felt his consciousness slacken away. The lightbulbs in the chancel blew up one by one, plunging the room into darkness.

_...Looks like I'm kicking the bucket first._

Shiro's heavy breathing abruptly stopped...and was replaced by cackling, sending chills down everyone's spines.

And then, the night was pierced with the sound of a high-pitched mechanical whine...almost like the scream of a banshee...

_**'Looks like the Demon Lord...has come to play.'**_

* * *

**I wasn't supposed to put this up yet, not until I and Fulminata have finished writing and beta-reading chapter 8 and 7 respectively (both not yet done ;-;), but since it's been two weeks or so, I thought "why not?". Yesh, so here it is. Also, thanks a bunch to the people who reviewed, faved and/or followed this story! It really means a lo to me, especially your words of encouragement~ :)**

**So how was the first episode of -Man Hallow? Did you cry? God knows I almost did. I need Episode 2 now! ;c**

**Moving on to another subject xD. It's kinda late and I'm sure most of you guys know by now but whatever. Have you guys heard? Ao no Exorcist is getting a second season next year! I've watched the teaser and wow, the animation is goooood! I'm not exactly hyped for this but I AM looking forward to it. Maybe it's cuz the DGM: H hype hasn't died down for me yet... ~ *rewatches the first episode of Hallow for the fifth time***

**Right so tell me what you think about this chapter! Got questions? Feel free to ask and I'll answer them to the best of my ability! XD**


	5. The Winds of Change Blow South

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own -Man nor Ao no Exorcist. They belong to Katsura Hoshino and Kazue Kato, respectively. **

**Before we start, I'd like to mention the head canon for this this fic, canon stops at chapter 209: Searching for A.W.- A Fellow Traveler. Any information presented after that will be null in this fic. In other words, let's pretend that 210-224 never happened. Okay? Okay.**

**Now since I have made the outro AN too darn long, I will just put this here. To the guest reviewers, I wish that you guys had logged in so I can PM you guys! Your reviews were way too awesome! I love you guys! x3 That also includes each and everyone of you! I'm quite surprised how the number of favorites and follows this fic has escalated so quickly. Like, _almost _everyday, my inbox gets flooded by notifications of favorites and/or follows. You are too awesome guys. c: Just wanted to say.**

**Special shoutout to the people who review every chapter! I'm not sure if there was such a person(s) but I have a feeling that someone does. I'm too lazy to check XD. You guys know who you are.**

**Another special shoutout to The-Allenfangirl for that very heartwarming PM! :D**

**Yet _another_ special shoutout to Fulminata for being my beta-reader and therefore having to put up with my chapters~! xD *salute***

**I swear that's the last shoutout.**

**To Deathstarling56: I specifically went back to edit this chapter to add as much drama as I can. I hope you cry. Just saying. :)**

* * *

"_**Honor your father and mother—which is the first commandment with a promise— **__**so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth. Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.**__** For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."**_–Ephesians 6:2-4,12

Chapter 5- The Winds of Change Blow South

**"At last...I have this body...!"**Shiro declared. But his voice was distorted and layered, making it sound as if there were two voices speaking at once. One was the voice of Shiro, stripped of its kindness. The second sounded otherworldly and eerily deep.

As his eyes scrutinized Shiro, Allen realized with horror that Shiro had been possessed. There chained to Shiro's soul was the very same demon that Allen met fifteen years ago under a blazing blue night sky.

Rin, who stood at Shiro's back, couldn't help the bone-deep feeling of horror that settled over him that told him to run to somewhere as far away from her as possible. Instead of heeding his instinct, he approached Shiro. "H-Hey old man...?"

"No, Rin! Get away from him!" Allen shouted as fear gripped his heart.

Hearing this, Rin stopped halfway to look at Allen in confusion. "Allen? What? Why?" _'What's wrong with them? There's clearly something wrong with the old man!'_

Rin realized with a jolt that Allen's left eye was...

His eyes widened. The sclera of Allen's left eye was pitch black and the pupil replaced by two red rings. Hovering over his left eye was a set of cogwheels, spinning endlessly without a motor, driven by something unseen.

"Allen, what happened to your eye?!"

Allen's eyes widened this time and then looked away from Rin's scrutinizing gaze.

**"Finally...I can finally meet you, my son!" **Shiro said.

"Huh?" Rin tore his gaze away from Allen and to Shiro. Without warning, Shiro burst in blue flames and his appearance shifted. His ears became long and pointed, his teeth became abnormally sharp, his fingernails grew to become claw-like, and a tufted tail sprouted from behind him.

Rin was suddenly reminded of what had happened to him back in the alley earlier.

"W-What's wrong with you, old man?!"

"He's possessed! Satan has taken over his body!" Nagatomo yelled to Rin.

_'What? Possessed?! By Satan?'_

**"Exactly! I am Satan, the god of Gehenna, and your real father!" **Satan exclaimed. **"You can call me Papa if you want!" **he added and then arched his torso back past human limits as he cackled crazily, sending chills down everyone's spines.

"Leave Father Fujimoto's body now, Satan." Allen commanded with a cold and unforgiving voice, a dark look in his eyes.

**"Oh? Hey, wait a minute! You're that boy from fifteen years ago! Ah yes, I could never forgot that voice! How have you been ever since you sent me back to Gehenna?! Still ALIVE and WELL I see!" **Satan sneered.

_'Huh? How can Allen have met Satan fifteen years ago? He's fifteen years old! No, he probably got the wrong guy or something,' _Rin thought.

"Get out of my way, fucking Exorcist! Do not ruin my touching reunion with my son!" Blood started leaking from Shiro's eyes and nose as he then blasted Allen with his blue flames. When the flames dispersed, Allen was nowhere to be seen.

Rin's eyes widened and he felt his knees weakening. Did he just? "A...llen?"

"Hmph, I don't have much time. Even this body cannot withstand my power for too long." Satan grabbed his wrist and pulled it out of its socket. The sound of breaking bones echoed loudly, making Rin grimace at the horrible sound. Blood soon fell from his wrist and dripped on the floor. The amount was a ghastly amount, and as it fell it began pooling on the floor, shaping itself into a large rectangle.

Suddenly, loud and quick footsteps thudding against the wooden floor echoed. And then, a figure jumped at Satan from the side and kicked him away. Satan was sent flying and then collided with the far right wall with a loud crash.

"Allen?!"

Allen didn't answer and instead darted towards Rin to grab his wrist.

"Rin, you need to get away from here." Allen said and dragged Rin's wrist but Rin snatched his hand away from Allen's hold.

"But Allen! Dad is—!"

"We'll worry about him later! But you _have_ to get away!"

"Listen to him, Rin." A new voice said. Rin turned to the source of the sound and saw that it was Nagatomo, leaning tiredly on one of the pillars in the chancel.

"You have to get away from here as quickly as possible." At Rin's aghast look, he struggled to explain.

"Don't take this too personally! You have to understand that you're in grave danger right now!" Nagatomo hurriedly added with a click of the tongue following soon after. "Don't worry about us! We have orders from Father Fujimoto to ensure your safety, so you are our first priority! So just go with Allen, Rin!"

Rin stared at Nagatomo in distress. Allen once again took Rin's wrist and dragged Rin with him as he hastily sprinted to the doors of the monastery. This time, Rin cooperated with Allen.

**"Tch, I WON'T ALLOW YOU TO SLIP AWAY FROM MY GRASP THAT EASILY!"**

_**'Allen, let go! Now!'**_

Without thinking, Allen heeded Neah's order. Not even a second later did a blue flame erupt out of the blue (pun intended) from where his hand had been on Rin's wrist. The flame quickly doused itself as if it had a mind of its own.

The two suddenly heard strange bubbling sounds. They turned to the source of the sound and saw that thick black bubbles materialized in front of Satan. The bubbles soon shaped itself and formed into ghouls in the form of large wolves.

Satan grinned devilishly (pun also intended). That was all the ghouls needed before making a mad dash towards the two boys and pounced on Allen, pushing him away from Rin. Allen landed some ways away from Rin, his back hitting the ground as the ghouls stood on top of him snarling and growling dangerously.

**"Now that the nuisance is out, let's return home to Gehenna, my son!" **Satan announced as he approached Rin with an overjoyed grin on his face.

Rin took a few steps back away from Satan only to stumble and fall down. Nevertheless, he continued to edge away from Satan.

"No...no! S-Stay away from me!" Rin screamed with fear.

Without his consent, he suddenly burst into blue flames just as he had back in the alleyway.

Satan cachinnated. **"What the fuck?! Did you just wet your pants?!" **he laughed once again. **"Pathetic!"**

Satan firmly yanked at the neck of Rin's jacket and hauled him across the ground towards the Gate.

"No! L-Let me go!" Rin howled desperately. He struggled to free himself from Satan's hold but it proved to be futile.

"Heed my call, Guardian of Fertility, Moorkin!" Nagatomo rasped out. Nagatomo's familiar, Moorkin, appeared out of thin air. With that, Nagatomo passed out on the floor, his energy and strength completely depleted.

Satan broke out into a fit of laughter. **"Keh, do you actually think that you can bring me down with that weak piss-ant?!" **Moorkin then went up in blue flames by Satan's command, forcing it to return to Gehenna.

**"Pathetic weaklings should just learn their place!" **Satan continued walking towards the Gehenna Gate with Rin in tow. **"You, my son, are special. My blood courses through your veins yet your body is human! Your very existence is unthinkable! A human, yet a demon!" **Without another word, Satan hurled Rin into the Gate unceremoniously.

Rin closed his eyes and braced himself for impact. But instead of the pain that he had reflexively expected, something wet and sticky touched his hand. He cautiously opened his eyes to see what it was.

The night was bathed with his terrified scream.

Satan cackled once more, relishing in the sound of Rin's terror. **"Rejoice! For this day shall be marked as your rebirth into a full-fledged demon!"**

"No! Someone...anyone! Please! Help! HELP ME!" Rin whimpered and thrashed and screamed helplessly as he was relentlessly pulled down into the depths of the Gate. Fear coursed throughout his mind and body like a raging wave and it felt like he was being suffocated.

_'So this is it, huh? Will I ever see Yukio, Allen, or the guys again? Or Dad? And I never got to say goodbye to Yukio...that bastard left before I got the chance to say goodbye. What's he going to think? No, I don't want to...I DON'T WANT TO-!'_

"RIN!"

Rin, eyes shining with newfound hope yet betrayed by a gleam of desperate pleading, jerked his head towards where he had heard Allen's voice and saw that he had knocked down the ghouls and rendered them helpless, if only for a few seconds.

Then, as quick as lightning, he sprinted towards Satan who held his hand up probably to blast Allen with a wave of blue flames. Allen had anticipated this beforehand and dodged just in time.

As nimble as a fox, Allen ran in zigzags towards the Devil.

Five feet.

Satan growled in annoyance.

Three feet.

The Adversary raised his hand, face set into a dangerous scowl.

One feet.

Allen clumsily halted to a stop before jumping up, just in time before the ground below him was ravaged with blue flames. The veteran Exorcist flipped in the air once before landing on Satan with a kick, eliciting a pained "oof" from him.

After sending a silent apology to Shiro for the damage he had inflicted on his old body, Allen quickly scrambled towards Rin and reached for his wrist. With his feet planted firmly on the edge of the Gate, his other hand latched onto Rin's arm and attempted to pull him out with both hands.

Their seemingly endless game of tug-of-war was ended when blue flames erupted in between Allen and Rin. Allen yelped in pain and immediately pulled his hands away. When he inspected his forearms, he saw that his gloves had been burnt off and the cuffs of his sleeves were left charred.

His hands didn't come out unharmed just like his gloves. His left hand was left undamaged since it was made of Innocence but his right hand had not been spared. Second degree burns in the color of angry red decorated his hand and snaked all the way to his wrist.

A low and dangerous growl echoed across the chancel, making Allen's skin crawl.

**"You...stupid Exorcist! You're a persistent one, aren't you!?" **Satan yelled furiously.

An indignant scowl set itself on Allen's face. "I'm not handing Rin over to you." he said as he delicately cradled his right hand with his left.

Satan chuckled but it soon turned into a full-blown cackle. His laughter ceased as he spoke, **"Unfortunately for you, it's too late! The Gehenna Gate will not let go of anything once it is inside of it! My plans shall bear fruit! Happy Birthday, my son!"**

Satan laughed once again but he was interrupted by his own voice.

_**"He is not...your son."**_

_Shiro_. Without a moment's hesitation, he grabbed the pendant hanging innocently around his neck and hovered it over his chest, the sharp pin on the pendant pointed precariously at his heart.

Immediately, Rin and Allen knew what he was planning to do. Panic gripping his heart, Allen sprinted for Shiro. "Father Fujimoto, wait!"

_'Not again! Not again!'_ The words replayed itself in Allen's mind like a mantra.

"Don't! I-I can help!"

_'I-It's now or never! I can't let him! I have to do this!'_

"Innocence! A-!"

"Allen..." Shiro whispered softly as he looked at Allen with eyes so sad that it broke Allen's heart. Those eyes always, _always_, held abundant warmth and cheerfulness. But now they harbored the opposite. It was wrong. This was all wrong!

Shiro then uttered several words to Allen, causing him to widen his eyes.

"NO!"

Shiro thrusted the pin deep into his chest.

Rin felt his world came to a stop as his heart skipped a beat. He didn't even know if his heart continued beating in his chest. All he felt was denial. There was no way someone like Shiro could die! Right?

"Rin is my son, and you won't take him away from me." Shiro whispered, this time addressing the demon inside him.

**"You...you!"**

Shiro felt Satan's control over his body diminish by the minute as his life faded away before his body collapsed on the ground with a loud thud that only served to intensify the heavy feeling in Rin's heart.

**"Taking your own life...I commend you for your dauntlessness. But it's too late..."** Satan's disembodied voice reverberated throughout the chancel but it didn't come from Shiro's mouth for once.

And then Allen's eye deactivated with a whine.

Rin trembled. _'No, this isn't happening. This can't be happening!'_

"O-Old man?" Rin stuttered.

Allen, on the other hand, slowly stepped towards Shiro's fallen form almost fearing what he would discover. He wanted to believe that the man had just fallen into unconsciousness but his chest should be steadily rising and falling.

Allen quickened his pace. Crouching down down in front of Shiro, he shakily pressed his fingers on Shiro's neck, anxiety haunting his mind like a ghost.

There was nothing.

Allen lowered his head, his hair shadowing his expression.

_'Why...? Why does this always happen?'_

Allen pursed his lips, a single fat tear rolling down his cheek.

Rin watched with trepidation and suddenly his chest felt heavier and heavier as dread planted itself in his heart, its root sinking deep. Tears uncontrollably poured down his face like a waterfall. And then...

He wailed as loud as he could in lamentation as he remembered what Shiro had dared him the day before:

_"If it's that embarassing, then show me just how much you've grown!"_

_'You can't just...YOU CAN'T JUST LEAVE ME LIKE THAT! I haven't shown you anything yet! So please!'_

His hand reached out for the Kurikara that he had been holding when he was thrown into the Gate. When his hand gripped the hilt, an odd instinctual instruction entered his mind, so he brought his other hand up to grab the scabbard.

Allen heard the movement and turned to see what Rin was doing. He saw him holding Kurikara, one hand on the hilt and the other on the scabbard. A chill that had nothing to do with the pre-dawn swept his heart.

"Rin...? What are you doing?! Father Fujimoto told you not to unsheathe that sword! If you do, then-!"

"I don't care!" Rin yelled back, his voice cracking mid-sentence. A river of tears relentlessy flowed down his face.

_'I'll show you...I'll definitely show you! But I can't go on without getting out of this stupid Gate! If it won't let go of me, then I'll have to destroy it! And then you just watch me, old man! __**I'LL DEFINITELY SHOW YOU!**__'_

And with that, blue flames eagerly licked its way out of the scabbard as Rin slowly unsheathed Kurikara.

"Rin!" Allen cried.

Massive blue flames exploded where Rin stood and the light emanating from the flames was so bright that Allen had to shield his eyes from it. It seemed to be forever before the flames finally died down.

Rin brought Kurikara's blade up and with an animalistic cry, he swung it down onto the Gate. The Gate was mercilessly bathed in a bright blue brilliance, a manifestation of Rin's sorrow and rage. Allen watched in awe at the beautiful blue flames yet at the same time induced an unwelcome fear in his heart. The flames ate away at the Gate before finally dissipating into glowing blue embers. At long last, Satan's vile creation that dared desecrate the House of God was no more.

As the flames doused themselves, the first rays of morning light poured in through the stained glass windows in the chancel.

Rin sheathed Kurikara and then silently walked towards Shiro with his head bowed down morosely. Allen stood and walked away a bit to give Rin some space to mourn by himself.

Rin dropped to his knees, leaning on Kurikara which he balanced in front of him. He numbly stared at Shiro's lifeless body. When his eyes settled on his bloody face, tears welled up in his eyes once again and he choked out a strangled sob.

Shiro's eyes were empty and glazed over, but a small peaceful smile remained on his lips, almost like he was relieved and at peace.

With a pained heart, he suddenly remembered the harsh words he had thrown to Shiro earlier. Harsh sobs violently racked his shoulders as he began to cry in grief.

"Dad," Rin choked out.

"Brother? Allen?" A familiar voice said. Rin abruptly looked up to the source of the voice, his glistening eyes wild with panic and sorrow.

_'Yukio! I can't...I can't let him see Dad like this!'_

"D-Don't come any closer! Just...just stay away, Yukio! Please!"

The sound of Rin's distraught voice planted a sense of urgency in Yukio's mind. He hastily pushed away the smaller debris caused by the truck that Astaroth had rammed into the monastery in order to pass through. "Brother? What's wrong?!"

"Yukio, don't!" Rin sobbed almost pleadingly. He shakily got up on his feet in a clumsy attempt to block his father's unmoving body from view. It was futile, however.

Yukio's eyes wandered to the figure behind Rin who was crying uncontrollably. Denial filled his widened eyes as he ran to Shiro and pressed his fingers on his neck. A second later, he removed his trembling hand from Shiro's throat and lowered his head.

Shiro Fujimoto was dead.

Line Break

Everyone was preparing to leave the cemetery except Rin who chose to stay for a while and Allen who wanted to keep an eye on Rin. Yukio took one last glance towards them before finally leaving with the others.

It was raining heavily. Rin and Allen were standing under it; they were soaking wet but neither cared.

A lone tear escaped from under Rin's eye, but it was lost within the raindrops that slid down his face.

He took out the phone Shiro had given to him.

_"There's only one contact saved in there. He's my best friend. Call him as soon as you leave the monastery, he'll protect you!"_

He paused for a moment before dialing the number and brought the device to his ear. For a while, only repetitive monotonous rings could be heard and Rin doubted that his dad's so-called friend would pick up the phone.

"Pleasure to meet you, Okumura Rin-kun."

Rin jumped at the the new voice which was definitely not Allen's. He looked up and saw a purple-haired guy wearing an odd-looking and flamboyant jester outfit with the color theme of white, pink, and purple of all colors. In his hand was a pink umbrella and a pink phone in the other which was held up to his ear. Accompanying him were shady looking people wearing a black uniform.

Allen tensed behind Rin, his face adopting a wary look. One second, it was only him and Rin in the cemetery and the next, several people suddenly appeared out of thin air and surrounding them. A single glimpse at the purple haired guy told Allen that he was a demon. Luckily, he was able to cover his eye before anyone could see.

"Who are you people?" Rin asked cautiously. How did these people enter the vicinity without him and Allen ever noticing?

The purple-haired man pressed the end call button on his phone and then bent down into a mocking bow.

"I am Mephisto Pheles, an old friend of Reverend Fujimoto's. Please do accept my condolences."

Rin somberly returned the phone to his pocket and asked apathetically, "So are you exorcists?"

"Indeed you guessed right. We are known as the True Cross Order." Mephisto replied. Rin was not fazed in light of this new knowledge.

"The old man said that you'd offer me protection." Rin mentioned.

To this, Mephisto chuckled. "I am afraid that as an Honorary Knight, I have my responsibilities~. I cannot mix public and private matters."

What he said next made Allen tense more, ready to kick some demon ass if need be.

"You are the son of Satan and therefore must be terminated before you become a threat to humanity. So in behalf of the Vatican, we have come to kill you~."

Rin kept calm in the face of his possible demise. Despite Mephisto's life-threatening announcement, he still sounded like a whimsical sugar-high moron who didn't even know how to use a knife. Definitely not someone who Rin would be afraid of.

"Now, I leave you two choices. Either you allow us to kill you or you kill us and run away~. Oh, you could also kill yourself, y'know~? So that makes three~! Well? Which one are you going to choose?" Mephisto continued, a foxy grin beginning to stretch across his shrewd features.

It was then that Allen decided to stop this, whatever it was. "He'll choose none of them," he asserted firmly while stepping in between Rin and Mephisto.

"Oh~? And who might you be~?" Mephisto asked. Either he didn't notice that Allen had been watching the whole exchange or he just didn't care that he was there in the first place.

Allen weighed his next words carefully as he stared into Mephisto's bright green eyes.

"My name is Allen D. Campbell. I met Father Fujimoto a few days ago." Allen finally answered.

This puzzled Rin. After all, wasn't Allen's surname Walker?

"Huh? Al-?"

Rin was interrupted mid-sentence when Allen quickly grabbed Rin's wrist from behind him and gripped it tightly. Rin immediately knew that Allen was telling him to shut up. He decided to ask Allen for an explanation later when the time was right.

"Well then, Campbell-kun, I'm afraid that you don't have a choice in the matter~. Okumura-kun can choose for himself, yes~?"

Allen opened his mouth to interject but Rin beat him to it.

"Then make me one of you!"

Mephisto's eyes widened and Allen turned to Rin questioningly. Rin's determined eyes told Allen that he was not going to back down. The long-time Exorcist sighed and decided to step aside.

"I don't care what you people say or think! I'm not Satan's son! I have no relation with that filthy bastard! My father is Shiro Fujimoto and no one else!" Rin declared, tears threatening to spill over. But he kept it in. He kept it all in.

Mephisto's face became neutral once again and placed one hand on his hip.

"I see. So you want to follow in Fujimoto's footsteps, huh? But think about it, what will you accomplish by becoming an exorcist, hmm?"

"I'll kick Satan's sorry ass!" Rin proclaimed fiercely.

Mephisto snickered. Soon his snickers suddenly turned into full blown guffaws as if Rin had told the funniest joke in the world. Needless to say, Rin was not amused.

Rin frowned. "What's so funny?"

"What's so funny?!" Mephisto repeated incredulously. "Satan's son wants to become an exorcist, that's what! This is hilarious! Preposterous, even! I haven't had _such_ a great laugh in ages!" he exclaimed dramatically as he wiped away a tear welling up in his eye.

"I'm serious!" Rin roared angrily. Allen raised an eyebrow in bemusement at the events unfolding in front of him.

Mephisto's boisterous and obnoxious laughter suddenly ceased. "Interesting... Very well then! I shall permit it."

This dropped a bombshell amongst the shady men who came with Mephisto.

"What? But Sir-!" One of them protested but was immediately cut off.

"R-Really?!" Rin said with stars practically twinkling in his eyes.

"However, I hope you realize that the path you chose is not a simple one. One day you will face your fate and you will regret making this decision." Mephisto said, his demeanor taking a sudden one-eighty.

"I don't care! I don't want anyone to die because of me ever again! I have no choice but to move on forward and become stronger no matter what!" Rin yelled with an undying fire burning in his eyes with one thought in his mind.

_'I won't fail you, Dad. This is for you...'_

Allen looked at him with a small smile. _'Rin...then I will keep walking with you.'_

"I'll become an exorcist!"

_'Fujimoto would be proud of you.'_

"Very well! It's decided! Well then, how about you, Mr. Campbell? Would you like to tag along?"

Allen recalled Shiro's last words to him, before he drove the pin into his heart. With those words in mind, he had no other answer.

"Of course." Allen answered resolutely to which Mephisto grinned in response.

"Sir Pheles! The Grigori cannot and will not allow this!" One of the exorcists with Mephisto protested once again.

"I shall stand for future consequences so all of you stand down." Mephisto commanded curtly. They shut up after that, albeit reluctantly.

"Go home and pack up your things. I shall pick you up tomorrow morning. I expect you two to be ready by then. Ciao~!" Without another word, he and the other exorcists vanished into thin air.

Rin gawked. "How did they do that?"

Allen shook his head. _'But he seems to be coping with Father Fujimoto's death quite impressively...'_

Allen gritted his teeth.

This was all his fault.

"Come on, Rin. We should go home and pack our things."

"A-Ah, right."

Line Break

It was daybreak. Rin was in the kitchen carrying a duffel bag and the red bag housing Kurikara. He had been going around the monastery since today would probably be the last time he saw the place. This was the place where he spent his childhood happily with Yukio, Shiro, and the other priests...

His heart ached as remembered memories of when everything was right and still made sense.

He recalled Yukio's words not too long ago...

_"I guess after fifteen years it's time to leave the monastery..."_

_'Yeah, this place has been our home for fifteen years. And now it's time to leave,' _Rin thought forlornly. _'I guess this is it, pops. I'm gonna be an exorcist not because I wanna follow in your footsteps but...because I think this might be the only way to avoid possibly losing myself to my demon side. That's what has been happening to me these past fifteen years, right? That's why everyone thinks I'm a demon...because I let myself be one... So please, watch over me from up there, alright?'_

_**I'm sorry...Dad.**_

With that, he turned the knob. A cold breeze mercilessly slapped his face as he stepped out the threshold.

_'Yukio never really asked me about what happened...I wonder what he could be thinking?'_

Rin kept his depressed gaze down to the ground as he walked towards the gates where Allen, Maruta, and Nagatomo stood waiting for him.

Allen was wearing his usual clothing, except that his top was replaced by a baggy midnight blue long sleeved-shirt. Rin had always wondered what was up with Allen's obsession over long sleeved shirts but he wasn't one to pry.

Allen was also carrying a duffel bag most likely containing the clothes that they had generously bought for him, albeit Allen being viciously against it. His hand had also been treated for the second degree burns that he had received that night and were all bandaged up, resembling the hands of a mummy.

Maruta's arm was on a cast and bandages were wrapped around his forehead while Nagatomo only had a few bandaids slapped here and there on his face.

"It's time to leave, huh?" Nagatomo said with a sad smile on his face.

"I already feel so lonely!" Maruta exclaimed jokingly.

"Feel free to drop by anytime!" Izumi said from behind who was cleaning the windows with Kyodo.

"This is your home after all." Kyodo added.

Rin smiled as he felt a lump form in his throat. "Sure."

"Oh, and you too Allen! You're welcome around here anytime!" Izumi told Allen who nodded with a smile. It astounded Allen how these people could be so warm and welcoming to a person who they had only known for several days. It touched his heart, Allen admits.

"I appreciate it."

"By the way, where's Yukio? Has anyone seen him?" Rin wondered aloud.

Maruta solemnly shook his head. "No. We haven't seen him today."

"Stop worrying, Rin. I'm sure he can take care of himself." Allen reassured him.

Rin smiled and then chuckled. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Come on, let's wait for Mephisto outside."

Rin grinned. "Sure."

The soil crunched underneath their shoes as they padded down the path leading to the gates.

"So how is it that you're taking all of this in so well?" Rin asked out of the blue.

"What do you mean?" Allen replied.

"A lot of crazy stuff has happened and...don't you care that I'm the son of Satan? I mean, you act like these stuff happen to you everyday. Even _I'm_ having a hard time believing all this shit." Rin further elaborated whilst shyly rubbing the back of his neck.

"Eh, strange things happen when you're on the road. A lot of strange things." Allen said evasively. It was the truth yet at the same time a lie. The half-truth. Those were the best kinds, Allen thought.

Rin furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Strange things? Do they involve demons or somethin'?"

"Something like that." Allen replied slowly.

Rin frowned at this. "You're not gonna give me a straight answer, aren't you?"

"Maybe." Allen chirped.

The half-demon beside Allen sighed in slight exasperation.

By this time, they had already reached the gates. They stood side by side as they leant on the fences surrounding the monastery exactly where Rin had found Allen sleeping the first time they had met.

An awkward atmosphere fell upon them and Rin found himself shuffling his feet against the coarse stone pavement. He racked his brain for a topic to talk about, anything that could dispel the unnerving silence.

His mind dinges as a thought reintroduced itself in Rin's mind.

"Hey, Allen. Why did you introduce yourself as Allen D. Campbell to Mephisto? Isn't your name Allen Walker?"

Allen on the other hand was taken by surprise by the sudden question and can't help but think, _'What's with all these questions...?'_

He looked down on his feet in nervousness. He hadn't thought of an excuse for that yet.

"Umm, well, uhh you see..." Allen began fumbling for words, stalling for as long as he can, before an idea finally popped into his head, "My real surname is actually Campbell. But umm, I was abandoned by my biological parents and was fostered by a man named Mana Walker."

"From then on I decided to use his surname instead of my real one. I only remembered to intoduce myself as Campbell to Mephisto since I thought it would be more...proper, I guess."

_**'Real smooth, Allen. REAL smooth.'**_

_'What? It's a believable lie, right?!'_

_**'Yeah, but still...'**_

The sound of a stifled laugh echoed in Allen's mind.

_'Yeah, yeah. Whatever.'_

"Really? Wow, I had no idea." Rin nodded in understanding but he suddenly flinched.

_'WAS fostered. And this Mana Walker guy doesn't seem to be around so I guess he's not exactly here anymore. And the stuff about Allen being abandoned by his biological parents...' _Rin thought, fresh guilt making its way into his mind.

"Hey, Allen...about that night Astaroth attacked.."

Rin suddenly found interest in his shoes.

"Yes?"

"Well umm, remember when I was saying these," Rin gulped, "horrible things to Dad...?"

"...Yeah?"

"And then you tried to stop me and told me to apologize to him. But I said these horrible things to you, too..."

Understanding dawned on Allen's face as he finally figured out where Rin was going with all this.

"I'm sorry about that, okay? I...didn't know."

A somber atmosphere fell upon them and for a second, Rin feared that Allen hadn't forgiven him for that and probably won't ever-

"What are you bringing this up for? It's fine, really. I've long since forgiven you for that. So please, just forget about it okay?" Allen said, a bright and genuine smile decorating his features.

Rin frowned as he searched deep into Allen's silver eyes, trying to find any sign of dishonesty. But he found nothing but genuine sincerity.

Rin sighed. "Okay, if you say so..."

Allen looked away, pain flashing in his eyes for a split sceond before it was quickly extinguished.

_'No other way but forward, right Mana?'_

Line Break

"That stupid clown sure is late." Rin grumbled. Allen couldn't even disgaree or reprimand him for being impatient or for calling Mephisto a stupid clown. It was already one in the afternoon and they were supposed to have left hours ago.

"'I shall pick you up tomorrow morning. I expect you to be ready by then.'" Rin mimicked Mephisto's words yesterday at the cemetery. "And yet he's the one who's late!" he hollered hysterically.

"Calm down, Rin. He'll come by soon, I'm sure..." Allen sweatdropped as he tried in vain to pacify him. Though he'll admit, under this blistering heat, he can't help but feel impatient as well.

And then as if their prayers were answered in the worst way possible, a pink limo honked as it stopped by.

Allen paled. _'This...can't be our ride, can it?' _He took a side glance at Rin and saw him gawking at the ostentatiously flamboyant limo as well. Their fears were confirmed when Mephisto stepped out of the car and Allen immediately slapped a hand over his eye.

"Oh my, what's this?! A sunny day and a beautiful blue sky to accompany you on your journey!" Mephisto exclaimed dramatically as he held the brim of his top hat.

And then, the beast was released.

"What the hell Mephisto! Why're you so late?!"

Allen sweatdropped once again. "Rin..."

"Oh? I suppose it is because you got ready too early." Mephisto grinned devilishly and deliberately added more fuel to the fire.

Rin glowered at Mephisto. "Mephisto, you son of a-"

Allen hurriedly cut him off before any blood could be shed. "Now that everyone's here, shouldn't we go off now?" he tittered.

"Ah, I'm afraid that we cannot go just yet~! For there is one more person we have to wait for~!"

"Really? Who is it?" Allen inquired him with curiosity.

"You'll see~! Oh and Mr. Campbell, what's wrong with your eye?"

"Eh? Ahh...it's just itchy, that's all." Allen lied.

"I see... Well then! I'd like to remind you that I am the Principal of the True Cross Academy~! So from now on, both of you will be students of my Academy! Oh isn't that lovely~?"

"Huh?! Wait, why the hell are we going to your shitty Academy, anyway?! We're signing up to be exorcists! Not to be students in a school probably full of stuck-up pricks if their principal was anything to go by!" Rin inveighed vehemently.

Mephisto put his hands up placatingly. "Now, now-"

"Sorry for the wait!" A voice called out.

"Eh?!" Allen exclaimed.

"Yukio?!" Rin shouted in disbelief.

Yukio was wearing a uniform consisting of a black buttoned jacket with white trimmings and some kind of emblem sewed on the left breast, a necktie tucked inside the jacket, black trousers and black leather shoes. A bag was also slung over his shoulder.

"I'm glad that I don't have to be separated from Allen and my dear brother!" Yukio beamed.

_**'Well ain't he just a cute little ray of sunshine.'**_

_'Hmm...is there something wrong with him?'_

_**'Relax. The kid's just happy. What's wrong with that?'**_

_'Hmm...'_

"Thank you for going through the trouble of picking us up, Sir Faust." Yukio added politely.

Rin's ears perked up at this and he turned to Mephisto. "Faust? But I thought you're-? Mmph!"

Mephisto shoved a hand on Rin's mouth, causing muffled yells and incoherent curses to emanate from his hand.

"Op opop!" he cried before leaning towards Rin and Allen and whispered, "Johann Faust the Fifth. It's the name I use in public." Mephisto winked and then removed his hand from Rin's mouth.

"Man, Mephisto! Your glove's stingy!"

Mephisto ignored his offensive comment however. "Now then! We shan't waste any more time~! Onwards to my True Cross Academy~!"

Line Break

Allen and Rin sat on the limo's comfy seats awkwardly as Mephisto whistled some tune with his legs crossed while Yukio read a book silently. Allen and Rin secretly prayed that they would reach their destination soon, especially since Mephisto's whistling was seriously driving Allen out of his mind.

Conveniently, Allen's eye had deactivated on its own even within the vicinity of Mephisto.

Allen snuck a glance toward the man in question before quickly averting his gaze before he could be caught staring.

_'Father Fujimoto knew about me and I never really did get to ask him about it. He's an exorcist of the True Cross Order and probably one who's high up their ranks since the four guys from the monastery- who also turned out to be exorcists- seem to respect him a lot. Knowing that, it's safe to assume that the higher ups of the True Cross Order knows about the Black Order and...me. But there might be a chance that the whole True Cross Order knows about the Black Order and not only the ones up high.'_

_'Even then, Mephisto...he looks like he's also high-ranked among them since he had those men with him when we met him at the cemetery and they called him "Sir Pheles". That makes those guys exorcists too. If they weren't, they would be calling him "Sir Faust", the name ordinary humans know him by. That automatically makes Mephisto a member of the True Cross. Question is, why would a demon be in an exorcist organization?'_

_'Whatever. It's a good thing I realized this before I introduced myself to Mephisto and changed my surname. The only problem is if they have a description of me... No, if that were the case, Father Fujimoto wouldn't have needed to ask roundabout questions to confirm my identity.'_

"By the way Yukio, where were you this morning? Everyone was wondering where you were." Allen heard Rin ask Yukio inquisitively. Allen couldn't help but tune in into their conversation as he was also curious about Yukio's whereabouts this morning.

"I visited Dad's memorial. Did you go before we left?" Yukio replied curtly, a hint of loathing hidden behind his voice which Rin failed to take note of. But Allen saw through it.

This stunned Rin before he averted his gaze away from Yukio's sharp eyes as remorse and shame swirled in his blue eyes. "I...forgot to."

Yukio coldly stared at him for a split second before replacing his hard look with a small smile. "Well, too late to do anything about it."

He didn't notice Allen giving him a skeptical look.

_'I'm sure of it. There has to be something wrong with him...'_

_**'You really think so, huh. So? What are gonna do about him?'**_

_'Nothing. Nothing yet, at least.''_

"We'll soon arrive at the heart of True Cross Academy." Mephisto suddenly announced, breaking the melancholic atmosphere with the excitement that he was radiating.

Hearing this, Allen turned his attention to the windshield behind him and stared at the scenery that came and went fleetingly like a blur until what seemed like a bundle of a spires came into view. Allen gaped openly.

"Welcome to True Cross Academy Town!" Mephisto exclaimed jubilantly. Rin looked out the windshield and his jaw dropped down to meet the floor.

"Amazing!" Rin cried. Allen would be lying if he said that he disagreed. He has never seen anything like it and this was coming from someone who was five countries away from seeing the entire world.

"This is the Town where all our educational institutions are." Mephisto explained. "Oh and Okumura, Campbell, do change into your uniforms before we arrive." he added.

Rin switched his gaze from the windshield to Mephisto, his twinkling face immediately replaced by a deadpan look. "Seriously? Would it have hurt to tell us this before we left?" he grumbled.

"Now where's the fun in that?" Mephisto answered mysteriously with a mischievous grin before handing out a set of uniform to both Allen and Rin.

"What a weirdo..." Rin muttered under his breath before slipping into the uniform. Allen, however, just sat there with the uniform folded neatly on his lap.

_'W-What do I do, Neah?'_

_**'I dunno, ask the clown if you could change in the bathroom?'**_

_'But...he'll tell me that I could just change here.'_

_**'Ooh! How about you knock everyone unconscious and then change into the uniform! Then no one will see! Then when they wake up, you can tell them that a storm passed by and everyone but you passed out.'**_

_'That's no good, either! I wouldn't even think of doing that even if it's my only choice!'_

_**'Then you're on your own, kid.'**_

_'What?! Neah, you traitor!'_

_**'If you're trying to insult me, I hope you know that that doesn't quite sound as insulting to me.'**_

Allen paused as he tried to figure out the meaning of his words before it finally dawned on him. _'Whatever, you arse!'_

"What's wrong, Allen-kun?" Mephisto suddenly asked him, causing him to slightly jump in his seat.

_'Eep!'_

Meanwhile in Allen's mind, Neah was laughing evilly.

_'Fine!'_

"Can...can I just change in the bathroom?" Allen almost pleaded. His voice had nearly cracked mid-sentence and he was sure that his face had all its color drained from it.

Mephisto raised an eyebrow in amusement. "You could just change here, Allen-kun."

"Um, I'd prefer not to."

_'Please, please, PLEASE just let me go!' _Allen wailed mentally.

Mephisto sighed. "Shy, eh? Very well, I believe that there will be a nearby bathroom where we will be parking."

"Sorry, it's just that...wait. Are you serious?!" Allen jumped up from his seat...forgetting that he was inside a car.

A loud thud resounded in the limo. "Ow!"

Mephisto pretended that this did not happen just in front of him.

"Why are you so surprised?" Mephisto asked him with his head tilted to the side in mock confusion. Rin and Yukio were already staring at him weirdly.

"N-No reason!" Allen tittered.

"Alright, I shall take you to the bathroom once we arrive."

Allen nodded gratefully. "Thank you."

As Allen prepared himself for the bathroom, Mephisto laughed to himself.

_'Allen Walker, huh?'_

Line Break

Allen was in the bathroom changing into his uniform while Mephisto, Rin, and Yukio waited for him outside.

The bathroom was filled with the sound of clothes being ruffled and shifted. Soon, Allen was completely donning the uniform but he still kept his black sneakers on since he didn't have leather shoes or anything. The only thing left was whether he should leave his jacket unbuttoned like Rin's or if he should close it like Yukio's.

After a minute of debating with Neah, Allen decided to just leave it open.

He was now folding his previous clothings and then stored them inside his duffel bag containing the clothes that Fujimoto had so graciously bought for him and also his Black Order uniform and his favorite beige overcoat.

After tying his shoulder-length hair back to the nape of his neck, he was all set.

With a click, the bathroom door was unlocked and Allen stepped out to be greeted by the sight of Yukio reading something on a piece of paper, Rin doing nothing, and Mephisto still whistling that tune of his, which was still driving Allen insane!

Mephisto ceased his whistling when he saw Allen. "Oh, you're finally done Allen-kun! I was starting to believe that you didn't know how to do your necktie! But I suppose I was mistaken." Mephisto grinned. Allen secretly wanted to wipe that grin off his face...with a punch.

Squashing down the urge to the best of his ability, Allen just sighed. "Where are we off to next?"

Mephisto grinned. "Follow me, boys."

With no more words exchanged, they were led through the impressive courtyard of the campus which was filled with greeneries and flora and even a large fountain.

As they traipsed across the path leading to the Academy itself, Allen's mind wandered to that night and frowned as he remembered Shiro and his spoken death wish given seconds before he plunged the pin into his heart.

Frowning, Allen shook his head and pushed away these depressing thoughts and decided to focus on where he was going. He didn't want to get himself lost due to his mind being somewhere else, thank you very much.

* * *

**Hello again, guys! I wasn't supposed to put this chapter AGAIN. But it's been a monthand maybe a couple days? I was supposed to put this up only at the same time I get chapter 7 back from Fulminata but as it turns out...he isn't done with it yet. So he's either busy or that chapter's just too riddled with mistakes...probably the latter. Or both. I swear, I am not going to post the next chapter until I get that chapter back! I only have once chapter left waiting to be posted! Excuse me, I want to have at least 4 chapters ready and waiting. ;c**

**So anyway, YES. We finally see non-shadow Papa Neah in the anime. Can't wait for the next episode nnnggghhh. D; And before I forget! I have a little theory that I just wanted to share. Early warning, if you're not up to date with the manga and/or for some reason the anime, continue reading at your own risk for there will be spoilers ahead. (I dunno why people make such a fuss about spoilers. I actually enjoy them. But meh.)**

**I'm sure ya'll remember Cross telling Allen "What would you do if I told you you'll have to kill someone you love when you become the Fourteenth?" (Taken straight from the manga). Now, Allen automatically assumes that that meant his friends. But Cross said "someone". One person. Now I don't know if this is just a translation error but I'm just gonna put this up in the air just in case. Also, TL;DR version is down below just in case. xD**

**Alright, continuing. I find it hard to believe that Neah would kill the Exorcists when he takes over Allen's body. I mean sure, Noahs hate Exorcists yadda yadda yadda. But why would Neah want to kill everyone in the Black Order, Allen's friends? Why would he, ahem, give a f*ck about them? I'm sure I don't need to expound on that. Other than that though, Allen loves everyone at the Black Order equally. If Neah, for some reason, wants Allen to suffer emotionally, then he'll have to kill everyone in the Black Order. **

**Now let's rewind a bit. So far, we know that Neah has one goal, and that is to kill the Earl for reasons still unknown. And who is the Earl? Mana.**

**Yes, I know. There are still some uncertainties about Mana. If the Earl was Mana all along, then who was the guy who fostered Allen? If they're one in the same, how can they be in two places at once? Questions, questions. But that's not the point. So let's fast forward again. "What if I told you you'll have to kill someone you love when you become the Fourteenth?" **

**Can't it be any more obvious? Allen loves Mana. We all know that. He still does. And Neah wants to kill Mana/Earl. (Be reminded that they are not really brothers so we can't really consider it as a vile act.)**

**TL;DR "What if I told you you'll have to kill someone you love when you become the Fourteenth?" I think that the "someone" that Cross was referring to is Mana. Now that that's done, I reserve the right to say "I called it" if or when what I said happens to be true! *^* If you find some flaws, have a question(s), want an elaboration on some parts, or if you want a friendly plain discussion about this theory, feel free to PM me. :)**

**...Wait a minute. I realized something. Cross said that Mana never left Neah's side even when the Earl and the Noah was on the hunt to kill Neah... Um, okay. Not sure if I read that in a fanfic somewhere or if it's really canon. Stuff I read in fanfics are mixing up with canon, damn! Could anyone confirm this? ;c **

**Okay, I'm done. Sorry for those long af blocks of text. Have a cookie! And a glass of milk! c:**

**BEFORE YOU GO. If by any chance you did not read the intro AN, GO BACK! Go back and read it! It contains information that may or may not be important!**


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